Cooking in aluminium can be harmful: Study

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Cooking in aluminium can be harmful: Study

SHARJAH: The Chemical Engineering Department at the American University Sharjah (AUS) in collaboration with the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi (PIAB) recently conducted an experiment to determine the harmful effects of the aluminium leaching process of cooking utensils on food.With substantial evidence indicating that aluminium is a toxic environmental factor, the study revolved around seeking a solution to reduce the aluminium intake from cooking utensils in food. It has been found that aluminium can enter the body in one of many ways from food, water, beverages, food additives, cosmetics and through medicines. “Our results showed that the aluminium leaching process increased when cooking in aluminium ware, doubled when leaving the food for a few hours inside the dish and further increased when reheating the food in the aluminium saucer,†Saleh said. “After experimentation we collaborated a set of procedures to

reduce aluminium leaching to food: boiling water in the cooking ware for at least an hour, which would build a passive layer reducing the corrosion rate of aluminium, eating food immediately after cooking and storing food in glass containers after it was cooked,†she explained. High concentrations of aluminium have been found in the brain tissues of patients with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, as well as those with dialysis encephalopathy. Furthermore, it is regarded as a neurotoxin due to its harmful effects on the brain, bone and liver. It has also, reportedly been associated with anemia, osteomalacia and a neurologic syndrome.

The experiment was carried out by Dr Fathia Mohammed Saleh and Isam Al Zubaidy, laboratory instructors of the Chemical Engineering Department at AUS, and Dr Ghada Bassioni, chair of the Women’s Initiative at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and assistant professor of the Chemical Engineering Program at PIAB.

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