This element has the particular function of wrapping food, so as to keep it for longer, or to facilitate cooking. However, for some time, a debate has opened on the potential dangerousness of this product.
As such, it is suspected of migrating into food when it is hot and acidic: in the same way as utensils, the aluminum present in food packaging can migrate towards food, especially when the latter is heated and in the case of acidic foods. Prefer therefore packaging and glass jars for the conservation of your food. As for soda cans, check the BBD Best before date because the longer the liquid stays in the can, the higher the risk of contamination. Find the best choices with the aluminum foil container making machine now.
Recommends the Association
However, 66% of consumers are concerned about the risk of the release of chemicals contained in packaging to the food products they contain, according to a study analyzing consumer behavior in terms of packaging and food safety.
However, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety handles does not mention this potential migration but indicates that the general population is mainly exposed to aluminum through food which contains naturally, health products, and cosmetics.
On the other hand, the plastic box, like the food film, can contain various worrying and increasingly prohibited chemical compounds such as phthalates and bisphenol A, two endocrine disruptors.
What about other packaging?
There are other types of packaging: stretch film, paper bags, and parchment paper and glass boxes. The IFEU study did not carry out any analyzes for these packaging but remember that aluminum is hygienic and offers a very good degree of protection against the harmful effects of light, air or foreign flavors on the quality of food.
The advantages of glass
We find a large part of these benefits in glass: natural, waterproof, inert and neutral, it allows food and their vitamins to be stored safely. This has not escaped European consumers since 49% of them consider that glass is the safest packaging material for food products, far ahead of other types of food packaging.
Remember that glass is a monolayer barrier material, impermeable by definition, providing absolute protection against bacteria, atmospheric and chemical agents. At the environmental level, it is mainly made from recycled glass, and is 100% recyclable and infinite.
The only downside:
Its weight which largely explains its growing lack of interest. However, the lightening and eco-design of glass packaging is a priority for glassmakers who do not wish to cut corners on its exceptional characteristics. In the end, aluminum foil does not deserve so much disaffection, especially when it is compared with the plastic box definitely a bad idea for the environment and health. However, when glass can be a solution to protect food, do not hesitate to favor the certainly the most healthy and ecological material, used for over 5000 years.
Notes
EAFA European Aluminum Foil Association is the international association representing aluminum foil laminators and manufacturers of aluminum foil capsules and trays, as well as all other flexible packaging. It has more than 100 member companies based in Western Europe, Central Europe and Eastern Europe. Founded in 1974, its roots in previous associations date back to the 1920s.
The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research is a non-profit ecological research institute. It was founded in 1978 as an independent center of excellence for environmental research by members of the University of Heidelberg.
