Aluminium foil hazard: Rethink your food storage practices

Many people reach for aluminium foil without hesitation when packing sandwiches or other food products. While undoubtedly convenient, this practice is harmful to our health.

Aluminium foil is a product found in nearly every British home. Many people use it to grill meat, fish, and vegetables, bake cakes in the oven, and cover hot dishes.

We reach for it out of habit when we want to pack food to go. Not everyone knows about the dangers associated with this. By wrapping sandwiches, vegetables, or fruits in aluminium foil, we risk our health.

Aluminium, from which the foil is made, is aluminium. Too high a concentration of this element in our body can be toxic. Most aluminium is expelled from our body through urine, but it can be hazardous for people with kidney problems. What diseases can it contribute to?

The accumulation of this element in cells increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, hormonal disorders, or reproductive system problems. The longer food has direct contact with aluminium foil, the more toxic substances leach into it - and the greater the health risk.

One type of food, in particular, should never be wrapped in this type of foil. It concerns acidic food products. When they react with aluminium, they form harmful aluminium salts. Foods that should not be wrapped in aluminium foil include citrus fruits, sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers, tomatoes, and apples.

The same applies to sandwiches containing these products and foods with many spices.

Since aluminium foil can be harmful, what should we store food in? It's worth thinking about our health and replacing aluminium foil with, for example, wax paper or reusable containers.

We will then be sure that aluminium won't leach into our bodies along with food.