Aluminium
The short version
Metallic aluminium leaf or powder — a decorative finish on cake decorations and pills.
It's permitted and generally considered safe, but there are a few reasons to be mindful — like sensitivities in some people, debated studies, or intake limits. The Safety section below explains the specifics.
Safety profile
JECFA (1977) allocated no ADI to E173, noting that its use as a silver decoration on confectionery is very limited and was not considered a hazard. For aluminium from all dietary sources, EFSA (2008) lowered the tolerable weekly intake to 1 mg/kg body weight per week, and JECFA (2011) set a provisional tolerable weekly intake of 2 mg/kg body weight. The metallic decorative use contributes very little to total aluminium intake compared with naturally aluminium-containing foods (tea, herbs) and aluminium-containing leavening agents. Recurring popular-press concerns about aluminium and Alzheimer's disease have not been substantiated by systematic-review evidence.
Sources
- JECFA database: Aluminium powder (INS 173), no ADI allocated (1977) — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 1977. Decorative use very limited; no ADI allocated
- JECFA database: Aluminium (food contaminant), PTWI 2 mg/kg bw (2011) — WHO / Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), 2011. Tolerable intake for total dietary aluminium (JECFA)
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 380/2012 on conditions of use of aluminium-containing food additives (recital 2 citing EFSA 2008) — Publications Office of the European Union (Official Journal L 119), 2012. EFSA 2008 lowered the TWI to 1 mg/kg bw/week; EU restriction of aluminium additives
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, consolidated text of 18.08.2026 (Annex II, category 05.4) — Publications Office of the European Union, 2026. Current EU conditions of use for E 173
Checked against these sources on .
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