Aluminum is associated with neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer by some authors. Although this has never been confirmed, there is evidence of an accumulation in kidneys of people with renal problems. This present work was carried out to address this subject by evaluating the occurrence of significant aluminum migration from cooking utensils during food preparation. Eight types of food cooked in different ways and three distinct types of pans (a saucepan, pressure cooker and frying pan), with and without teflon coating, were evaluated. The metal analysis was conducted in an Optical Emission Spectrometer with Inductively Coupled Plasma. The results showed insignificant transference of aluminum in some food products. The main transference occurred when tomato sauce was prepared, which has a low pH, in the pan without teflon coating. The menu prepared with all the foods for two meals in a day showed that the aluminum mass incorporated by the food corresponded to 2% of the daily consumption limit of aluminum for a 60 kg person (1 mg.kg -1 of body weight per day). Thus, the use of aluminum pans in food cooking practically does not interfere in the total consumption of aluminum allowed for people.
aluminum cooking utensils; foods; aluminum migration; cooking
