Analysis of aluminum in food and human health

Abstract: Concerning the relationship between aluminum in food and human health, in recent years, due to the publicity of media, people have been "smelling aluminum"

Panic of color change.

Through collecting various data and data, the origin of aluminum and the international requirement of limit aluminum in food were expounded, the relationship between aluminum and human health was clarified, and the safety of aluminum in food was analyzed.

Key words: aluminum;

Human health;

Safety of aluminum;

Food safety;

Alzheimer's disease

The body of the

In recent years, concerns have been raised about the link between aluminum in food and human health, which can cause diseases such as Alzheimer's

Health hazards, such as sickness, are also increasingly cited.

However, there is no rigorous, scientific and comprehensive data and evidence to prove the harm of aluminum.

It is of great significance to analyze the safety of aluminum in food according to the requirements of international standards and the dietary structure and habits of Chinese residents.

1 sources of aluminum

1.1 Summary of sources of aluminium intake by the FAO/WHO joint Committee on Food Additives

Because aluminum is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust, it is present in more or less all the drinking water and food we come into contact with.

Drinking water contains aluminum, generally less than 0.2 ms/L.

Based on daily consumption of 2L of water, the exposure is 0.4 mg/d.

Aluminium is also present in most foods, which may be due to its natural presence in food (typically less than 5mg/kg) or the use of aluminium cooking utensils and tin foil.

However, the use of aluminum cooking utensils and tin foil to increase the aluminum content of food is often very small.

But some foods, such as potatoes, spinach and tea, can be high in natural aluminum.

Another major reason for food containing aluminum is the addition of food additives containing aluminum, which is also the main source of human consumption of aluminum from food.

In addition, it has been reported that the aluminum content of infant soy milk formula is about 0.4 ~ 0.6 mg/L...

1.2 Sources of aluminum intake for Chinese residents

Wang Lin et al. [61] estimated the daily aluminum intake of Chinese residents by studying the aluminum content of food. The aluminum content of various foods in the study is as follows:

Class m# 12.6 kg of grain, vegetables, fruits, 4.9 mg/kg, legumes, 27.3 mg/kg, fish, meat, eggs, milk, ms 1.7 / kg, wine and beverage category 1.1 mg/kg, condiments 1.2 mg/kg. Flour aluminum content average result was 10.0 4-5.1 mg/kg, if eat 5009 flour/person/day, eating 5 mg aluminum. Daily by the amount of water intake of aluminium is about 0.10 mg. Taken from the tea is about 0.2 ~ 1. 1 mg. Food processing with an aluminium cooker,

Transferred to the amount of aluminum in food about 4 mg daily. Containing aluminium food additive is one of the main sources of food chinalco taken people. Aluminum production and use of food additives in our country are mainly potassium alum and ammonium alum, composite aluminum additive represented by baking powder, baking powder). Reports [_ ¨ said residents in our country the average weekly amount of aluminum intake from food is 238 mg/person.

Domestic and foreign requirements for aluminum content in food and food additives

The FAO/WHO joint expert committee on food additives (je-fac) set the tentative weekly tolerable intake (PTWI) for aluminium at 1mg/kg...

The FDA of the United States listed compounds such as potassium aluminum sulfate, ammonium aluminum sulfate, sodium aluminum sulfate and other compounds as generally considered safe substances. These substances were not reviewed before being marketed and did not need to be approved by the FDA of the United States, because they were generally recognized by authoritative experts and were safe to be used in an appropriate amount according to production requirements

[2].

When aluminium sulphate is used in egg whites, the limit is 30mg/kg according to the European Parliament and Council directives;

The maximum use level of aluminum potassium sulfate, aluminum ammonium sulfate, and sodium aluminum sulfate for fruits and vegetables made of honey is 200mg/kg.

The maximum amount of sodium aluminate phosphate used in fine baking is 1s/kg(all measured in aluminum) l3j.

Japanese standards for the use of food additives stipulate that aluminum potassium sulfate and aluminum ammonium sulfate can be used in all foods except bean paste, and do not make the aluminum limit requirements H].

According to China's current GB2760 "Hygienic Standard for The Use of Food Additives", aluminum potassium sulfate and aluminum ammonium sulfate can be used in soybean products (04.04 class), wheat flour and its products (06.03 class), baked food (07.0 class), Fried food (16.05 class), shrimp flavor tablets, aquatic products and their products, puffed-food, etc.

Thus it can be seen that potassium aluminum sulfate and ammonium aluminum sulfate in the food processing of the wide range of applications.

In accordance with the standard requirements, the two compounds can be used according to the production needs, residual aluminum ≤100mg/kg(in terms of aluminum).

Absorption, distribution and excretion of aluminum

3.1 Aluminum absorption

The amount of aluminum absorbed seems to be affected by its shape.

The bioavailability of water-soluble aluminum compounds (e.g., aluminum chloride and aluminum lactate) is generally considered to be higher than that of non-water-soluble aluminum compounds (e.g., aluminum hydroxide and aluminum silicate).

In laboratory animals, the absorption rate of aluminum through the gastrointestinal tract is generally less than 1%.

As for the rate and extent of human absorption of aluminum, although little research has been done, the value is also very low.

Citrate (one of the main organic acids in fruits) can increase the absorption of aluminum, while other compounds such as silicate and phosphate may reduce the absorption [1.5].

3.2 Distribution and excretion of aluminum

It has been reported that in laboratory animals, once absorbed, aluminium enters most organs and accumulates in large quantities

In the bone.

In addition, human exposure to or absorption of human aluminum compounds increases levels of aluminum in the blood and individual tissues such as the brain, bones, muscles, kidneys and lungs.

Whether in laboratory animals or humans, aluminum is mainly excreted through feces and urine.

According to a study by a Japanese university professor, almost all of the aluminum ingested is excreted in the urine, and only one tenth of a liter is absorbed.

Aluminum in food and human health

4.1 Aluminum in food and Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a primary degenerative encephalopathy that occurs in old age and early old age. It refers to a persistent high level neurological activity disorder that occurs in the absence of consciousness

In the state of, memory, thinking, analysis and judgment, visual spatial recognition, emotional disorders.

The characteristic pathological changes were cerebral cortex atrophy, accompanied by deposition of Lu-amyloid protein (P-amy. 10id, oral-AP) and neurofi.

Many researchers believe that AD develops in relation to aluminium. One of these factors is ¨0| : large amounts of aluminium accumulate in the areas of the brain (cortex and hippocampus) where neural fiber tangles (Ngr) occur.

But Cheng Yinmei et al. [1] measured the mean value of M in serum from 53 patients admitted to The Alzheimer's Hospital, Changning District, Shanghai, and from the PEQUOd, from 0.61 ± 0.08mg/L to 0.68 ± 0.08mg/L in the healthy control group. There was no significant difference from the pequod, and the pequod was slightly lower.

These different results indicate that trace elements have complex physiological and pathological functions, and the determination results of trace elements under the same pathological conditions are not completely consistent.

Existing statistical reports of alzheimer's disease prevalence show that age is an important factor associated with alzheimer's disease.

Reports [121 says the prevalence of AD to increase growth rate is greater than 100% five years old, old age is a risk factor for dementia. Because of the age, the body's metabolic function is reduced, the necessary trace elements like se, zinc, Cu, Mn element usually decrease with increase of age in the elderly. When these elements are reduced to a certain extent, it may cause vascular damage, formation of cerebral arteriosclerosis and brain atrophy, aging, death and senile dementia (13, 14 J. So some experts think that alzheimer's patients of brain cells, although normal high aluminum content

But this does not definitively determine whether aluminum is the cause of dementia, and the accumulation of aluminum may simply be a result of dementia.

The European food safety authority's report published in July 2008 also concluded that, based on the available scientific data, it did not believe there was a risk of alzheimer's disease from consuming aluminium from food.

.

The relationship between aluminum in food and other human health

In recent years, there have been a growing number of hypothetical theories about aluminum in food causing multiple health hazards.

According to joint food additives

At its 67th meeting, the Committee of Experts (JEFAC) reassessed aluminium and concluded that it had not yet been reported

There is no evidence that aluminum causes cancer in animals, and there is not enough data to classify the risk of cancer in humans from exposure to aluminum and aluminum compounds...

5 to discuss

5.1 Different countries have different requirements for aluminum limits.

Countries that use food additives containing aluminum, such as the United States, have looser aluminum requirements.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is recognized internationally as one of the largest food and drug regulatory agencies in the world.

Many other countries promote and monitor the safety of their own products by seeking and receiving FDA assistance.

FDA considers aluminum potassium sulfate, aluminum ammonium sulfate, and sodium aluminum sulfate to be safe substances that can be used in moderation according to production requirements, and there is no limit on the amount of aluminum.

Japan's food additives use standards, there is no limit on aluminum requirements.

Compared with the lenient requirements of THE FDA and the 13 standards for the use of food additives on aluminum, relevant national institutions in China strictly stipulate the residual amount of aluminum as lOOmg/kg according to the dietary structure and dietary habits of Chinese residents and on the premise of proper use according to the production needs.

In addition, the amount of sodium aluminate phosphate used for fine baking in Europe is LG/kg, which is much looser than the standard requirements in China.

5.2 Human aluminum consumption comes from a wide range of sources.

Different regions, different diets and habits have different effects on aluminum consumption.

The absorption, distribution, and excretion of aluminum vary greatly depending on its morphology, age, sex, and health status.

But almost all of the aluminum ingested is excreted in the urine.

Only one-tenth of that amount is absorbed, suggesting that aluminum does not accumulate in large quantities in the body and is therefore less likely to cause harm.

5.3 There is no more rigorous, scientific or comprehensive explanation for the claim that aluminum consumption causes Alzheimer's disease.

The etiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease are complex, and there are many different theories about the etiology, such as heredity theory, virus theory, autoimmunity theory, endocrine theory. In recent years, neurotransmitter theory and trace element neurotoxicity theory have been put forward, so it is difficult to confirm the role of aluminum in it.

Many articles to refer to the harm of aluminium mostly put aluminum linked with alzheimer's disease and that in fact there was no strong evidence of aluminum in the world with alzheimer's disease have inevitable causal relations, European food bureau's latest survey report also don't think the food is taken pan have lead to the risk of alzheimer's disease.

5.4 Some articles overstate the harm of aluminum or the harm of food additives containing aluminum, so that many people talk about "aluminum" color changed, or even "food additives" color changed.

According to the above analysis, there is no need for excessive panic about food containing aluminum and food additives.

The food additives containing aluminum allowed in the list of Food additives in China are all safe and reliable after repeated tests and demonstration. As long as they are used strictly in accordance with national regulations, they will not pose a threat to the health and safety of consumers.

How to correctly view the aluminum in food, food additives, grasp a degree is the key, like any good substance, once too much will also cause damage to the body.