Estimation of dietary aluminum exposure of the Belgian adult population: Evaluation of contribution of food and kitchenware

An exposure assessment was performed to estimate the usual daily intake of aluminum (Al) via food and kitchenware in the Belgian adult population. Food consumption data were retrieved from the National Food Consumption Survey. Measurements of Al were performed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometer on 552 pooled samples. The estimated usual daily intake of Al was calculated with the Nusser method, and amounted to 0.030 mg/kg bodyweight bw/day, or 21% of the Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI), established in 2008 and confirmed in 2011 by the European Food Safety Authority. The contribution of kitchenware to dietary Al exposure was estimated combining leaching models established for different food contact materials combined with surface use of the respective materials provided by an in-house validation survey. The average daily Al intake through kitchenware was estimated to be 7-fold less important at the mean level of the population than the Al intake through food. At the 98.2th percentile the dietary Al exposure reached 0.144 mg/kg bw/day (0.113 and 0.031 mg/kg bw/day respectively). This exceeds the PTWI indicating that a well defined subgroup of the population might be at risk.