The Health Implications of Continued Use of Aluminium Cooking Ware on Consumers

Abstract

The health implications of continued use of aluminium cooking ware on
consumers are examined. Focus is primarily on mineral elements status –
particularly aluminium, of selected staple foodstuffs. Atomic absorption
spectroscopy was used to experiment the changes in mineral elements
concentrations after cooking in aluminium cooking ware. White yam (Dioscorea rotundata), rice (Oritza sativa) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) were purchased from Aarada market in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. Three industrially manufactured aluminium cooking ware of the same brand were purchased from a local vendor in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. The water used was distilled using a water distillation unit (model – WSS/8, Hamilton Laboratory Glass Limited, Kent) and deionised using a deioniser – Puri – Fi XR, Fistreem. The three food stuffs purchased were cooked differently in the three aluminium pots ten times each After cooking yam in the aluminium cooking ware, it was revealed that there was increase in the concentration of aluminium ion ranging from 48.0mg/100g to51.0mg/100g.
Similarly, the increase in the range of aluminium ion after cooking were 68.1mg/ 100g to70.8mg/100g for rice and 70.0mg/100g to16 5.0mg/100g for cowpea. The leaching from aluminium cooking ware into the foods causes increase in the concentration of aluminium ion in the cooked foods. Changes in the concentration of other elements like Fe, Zn, Cr, and Mg are not significant. This change in aluminium concentration after cooking in aluminium cooking ware deservesattention because, it has negative health implication. Aluminium has been said to alter enzymes involved with acetylcholine metabolism which affects interplay between thought processes and motor coordination resulting in ataxia, Alzheimer syndrome and other neurodegenerative diseases.