Cooking of wrapped meats in aluminium foil is a common practice applied in many resturants, fast food outlets and hotels. However, there is concern araised recently regarding the toxicity of aluminium and its relations to some diseases (mainly chronic renal failure, various bone (osteomalacia) and neurological failures (Alzhemier's disease).
The effect of different cooking treatments (150 °C for 60 min, 200°C for 40 min, and 250 °C for 20 min ) on aluminium (Al ) contents in red meats (beef, water buffalo, sheep) and white meats (chicken and turkey) cooked in aluminium foil were studied. Data revealed that cooking elevated Al concentrations of both red and white meats. The increase was 10.20–83.0% in red meats and 12.20–75% in poultry. The least increase was observed in the samples cooked at 150 °C for 60 min, while the highest increase was traced in samples cooked at 250 °C for 20 min.
It can be concluded that the cooking processes affected the migration of Al and thereby cooked meats wrapped in aluminium foil may carry a risk to human health. Therefore,data of the present study can be a guide for resturants, fast food outlets and hotels to avoid wrapping of meats in aluminium foils prior to cooking, and use glass utensils for food cooking instead of aluminium foil in order to prevent contamination of meats with aluminium.In case of wrapping meats in aluminium foil, it is advisable to apply low cooking temperature for long time (i.e. 150 °C for 60 min.). Data presented here indicated that such a treatment results in a decline of migration rate of Al from foil to food.