Silver-white light metal aluminum, which is used in the food industry as an additive under the index E173, has a non-magnetic texture and good electrical and thermal conductivity. In nature, aluminum is very common, it ranks first among all metals and third among other elements of the periodic table in terms of prevalence in the environment. Up to 8,1% of pure aluminum can be found only in the earth’s crust.
Characteristics of the metal and its effect on the body
Aluminum metal is very easy to form, amenable to mechanical stress, plastic so that it can be rolled into a foil with a thickness of less than a millimeter. It reacts with other metals, forming various alloys, very resistant to corrosion processes, due to the ability to easily form oxide films of increased stability, which further protect aluminum from oxidation.
Hans Oersted first obtained aluminum in 1825, when, under the influence of potassium algae on aluminum chloride and the distillation of mercury, pure metal was isolated.
In 1886, the modern method of isolating aluminum was invented. Its essence is to dissolve aluminum oxide in a cryolite melt, followed by electrolysis using graphite electrodes. However, until the beginning of the 20th century, this method was not used due to the high cost of electricity.
However, this substance is completely absent in living organisms, which is why the metal is capable of producing a toxic effect if its concentration is above the norm.
In the natural environment, aluminum metal is found in minerals such as nepheline, bauxite, alumina, and many others. It is found in drinking water and food.
Aluminum can be deposited in the bone tissue of the nervous system and thus it can be toxic. But the substance does not accumulate in the human body, due to the possibility of removing it through the kidneys.
During the day, up to 15 milligrams of metal can normally be excreted from the human body. However, in case of impaired renal function, one should be careful with food that contains the food supplement E173.
Disputes around the harm of aluminum to human health are constantly heated. Scientists believed that this metal provokes the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, but subsequently these data were not confirmed. An excess of this metal in the brain of patients with the above-mentioned disease is today explained as a consequence of the emerging disease, but not as its cause. Food supplement E173 is also perceived by many ambiguously.
Despite the fact that science has not yet proven the harm of this dye to human health, the additive is still prohibited for use in products in some states.
At the moment, it has been established that an overdose of aluminum can lead to an adverse effect on the metabolism of phosphorus and calcium in the human body, due to which numerous skeletal anomalies are formed, for example, osteoporosis, and the risk of bone fractures and osteochondrosis increases.
A large dose of the substance can provoke skin rashes and gastric disorders, as well as fibrotic changes. Aluminum sharply reduces memory, weakens concentration.
Application in different industries
In food production, the preservative E173 can act as a dye for confectionery products. This substance is able to give all sorts of sweet decor (dragee, for example) a silvery tint. Also, this substance prevents spoilage of food and the formation of mold in it.
This metal serves as the basis for the production of foil, since aluminum has a high thermal conductivity and is not toxic.
This substance can enter the human stomach in several ways:
- when drinking drinking water;
- when using food products containing E173;
- when eating any food or drink from aluminum utensils.
The permissible norm for the use of E173 per day is an indicator that does not exceed the level of 2 milligrams per kilogram of the human body.
At the same time, it is worth noting the increased content of aluminum in those drinks in aluminum cans, the expiration date of which has long expired.
In addition to the food industry, aluminum is used in:
- jewelry business – most of all manufactured jewelry is made from this metal;
- glassmaking – for the production of glass, fluoride, oxide or phosphate of this metal is used;
- the form of a combustible component for solid propellant of the rocket industry;
- the form of structural material of the construction industry;
- production of many types of cheap tableware;
- perfume industry – for the production of deodorants, household chemicals and air fresheners.
Prohibited additive E173 in the food sector is in Australia, Russia, Ukraine and some other states.