Aluminum contamination found in flour based food
After reports of excessive heavy metal contamination of rice , food safety authorities conducted a random inspection that resulted to a lot of food made with flour also contained excessive traces of aluminum in local restaurants.
The city market supervision tested 696 samples of food made with flour, and 28 percent contained excessive traces of aluminum. Steamed buns that are made in some restaurants even had aluminum residue nine times higher the national standard which states that there should be no more than 100 aluminum per kilogram. The excess in aluminum is caused by using too much baking powder that is said to contain aluminum.
Aluminum free baking powder is available in the markets, but only a few people are using it, because it more expensive and needs a higher level of cooking skills. Experts say that long term consumption of food containing excessive aluminum will have a negative effect on the brain. Experts also said that children, pregnant women and elderly people are more vulnerable to the excessive aluminum found in the food.