Selection of food simulators for testing aluminum foil as a food packaging

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Introduction. The wide distribution of aluminum foil in the consumer market and its active use in the home as a packaging material determine this study’s relevance. Because health risks associated with aluminum’s chronic consumption are still poorly understood, aluminum intake with food is potentially unsafe for health. In this regard, it is relevant to investigate the conformity of methods and food simulators to the tasks of testing aluminum foil for its safe use as food packaging. The aim of the study is to improve methodological approaches to the selection of food simulators for testing aluminum foil as packaging for food products. Material and methods. The study approach and critical analysis of the domestic and foreign regulatory framework and relevant scientific sources were applied to methodological approaches to study the level of aluminum content in food products and food simulators when testing aluminum foil for food packaging. The adequacy of the application of the methods of quantitative chemical analysis of the aluminum content in food simulators and food products was evaluated in testing household foil, indicated in various regulatory and methodological documents. An experiment was carried out to study the levels of aluminum in simulating media and directly in food. Results. The regulated food simulators do not fully consider the features of the use of aluminum foil as food packaging, for example, the modes of using aluminum foil at elevated temperatures. Conclusion. The current regulatory and methodological framework requires improvement. It is advisable to develop a special method for testing aluminum foil for household purposes with a description of temperature and time modes and conditions for simulating the process of baking food products.