Nutritionists Express Avoid Cooking These 7 Foods With Aluminum Foil

Illustration of cooking using aluminum foil (Photo: Freepik/prostoleh)

JAKARTA - Aluminum foils are practical and versatile, but this thin and thin metal material is not always safe to use for cooking.

"If you only wrap vegetables or protein to roast, aluminum foils are generally still safe," explainedLAW Wood, RD, LD, CDCES, a registered nutritionist, quoted from the Real Simple page.

"However, when cooking with foils at high temperatures, especially if you use sour or spicy foods, you need to be more careful. In such conditions, the use of foils can make more aluminum content move to food," he continued.

He said several studies showed excessive consumption of food with aluminum, related to health problems such as neurodegenerative diseases.

Wood suggests always using aluminum foil labeled "food-grade" or safe for food.

"Avoid using very thin foils or not designed for food," he said.

This also applies to disposable aluminum containers. Confused food should be wrapped in foils or not? There are many safer alternatives.

"If you want to be even safer, use a parchment paper as a barrier layer, or use an oven resistant container such as glass or ceramics," he suggested.

Here are 7 foods that should not be cooked using aluminum foil.

1. Food Cooked With Microwave

Never put aluminum foil into the microwave. Aluminum can spark sparks to fires, which can damage the microwave or even be dangerous. In addition, aluminum foils are not volatile, so storing food remains in the foil is also not recommended. Use a glass container or microwave resistant plastic to make it more practical and safe.

2. Tomatoes, oranges, and Acid Foods

Foods that are acidic, such as tomatoes, oranges, or foods colored with vinegar should not be cooked in aluminum foils.

"Aric food can cause more aluminum to dissolve into food, and if consumed in large amounts in the long term, it can trigger health problems," Wood said.

3. Asin food

Just like sour foods, high-salt foods can also cause chemical reactions that make aluminum move to food. So, foods such as processed meat (ham, sausage), or other salted foods should not be roasted using aluminum foil.

4. Cookings that are matured in a long time

Cooking meat like ribs for hours in a foil may have become a habit, but it turns out it can pose a risk.

"Avoid wrapping old cooked foods in foils, such as slow roasting or casserole. The longer cooked, the greater the risk of aluminum entering the food," Wood said.

As an alternative, use a glass pan or ceramic, or give a coat of bread paper before wrapping it in a foil.

A study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health showed that dishes cooked in foils contain higher aluminum than those cooked in oven resistant containers.

5. Foods that are matured at high temperatures

Although new aluminum melts above a temperature of 1,000$F (about 538$C), Wood suggests avoiding the use of foils on food cooked at temperatures of more than 400$F (about 200$C). At this temperature, aluminum content is easier to move to food.

For example, when roasting potatoes, it's better to olate a little neutral oil or wrap it with bread paper than use foils. The same goes for cooking directly on fire like when camping.

6. Sea food

Memanggang fish dalam paket aluminium memang populer, tapi penelitian dari Food Science and Nutrition menunjukkan aluminium bisa mengenak lebih dalam ke dagingan sekania dibandingkan dari dagingan dari awanitas atau burungan. Itu sebabnya, fish sebaiknya dipok dengan metode en papillote menggunakan paper bread, yang fungsinya hampir sama tapi jauh lebih aman.

7. Dry cake (Conies)

Technically, cookies can burn on aluminum foil because the temperature and cooking time are relatively low. But the results aren't necessarily satisfactory. The bottom of the cake can be too loud or crunchy, and the cake also risks sticky in the foil, destroying it when removed. Use an anti-stick or bread paper to make the results better.