Aluminium in infant foods: toxicology, total content and bioaccessibility

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for newborns until at least the sixth month. However, in some cases, the use of infant formulas as breast milk replacement has been used to provide the nutritional needs of infants. For children over six months baby foods can often be incorporated into the diet. Aluminium (Al) could be present in baby foods and it has potential neurotoxic effects when ingested and absorbed by the organism. In this study, we reviewed Al toxicology, total content and bioaccessibility in several baby food products. The study was performed as a systematic review of scientific literature on the databases Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Academic Google. Aluminium content varied according to distinct types of baby foods (0.92- 2860 mg kg(-1)). Different analytical methods used to evaluate Al bioaccessibility, including sample preparation and in vitro conditions to simulate the gastrointestinal digestion, indicated that the Al bioaccessible fraction varied from 0.5-48% in the current literature.

Automated summary

The study revealed that aluminum content in baby foods varied (0.92-2860 mg kg(-1)), and the bioaccessibility fraction of aluminum ranged from 0.5% to 48% in current literature. Research on the toxicology and bioaccessibility of aluminum in baby foods provides important references for understanding the safety and rational selection of infant foods.