Aluminium (E173) — What You Need to Know
What Is Aluminium?
Aluminium (E173) is metallic aluminium used as a food coloring to provide a silver or metallic appearance to confectionery and cake decorations. Its use in food is severely restricted to surface decoration of sugar confections only. It is one of the more controversial food colorings due to concerns about total dietary aluminium exposure.
What Is It Used For?
Used exclusively as a surface decoration for sugar-coated confectionery and cake decorations, providing a metallic silver appearance. Its food use is very limited compared to other aluminium-containing additives.
Safety Assessment
EFSA established a Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) of 1 mg aluminium/kg bw/week in 2008, noting that a significant proportion of the European population exceeds this level. Aluminium is a known neurotoxin at high doses. While metallic aluminium used as a food color (E173) contributes minimally to total aluminium exposure (most comes from food naturally, water, cookware, and medications), the overall concern about total aluminium intake is significant. EFSA's 2008 opinion noted associations between aluminium and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's), though causality is not established.
Based on current evidence, Aluminium is rated Caution with a score of 5/10. This is 0.8 points below the average for colorings (5.8/10). Last reviewed by regulators: 2008.
Commonly Found In
Always check the label for E173 or 'Aluminium'
▶Chemical Information
Frequently Asked Questions about Aluminium
Quick Facts
- E-Number
- E173
- INS Number
- 173
- Category
- Colorings
- Origin
- Synthetic
- FDA Status
- Approved for external decoration of sugar confections only
- EFSA Status
- Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) of 1 mg/kg bw/week, established 2008
- ADI
- 1 (TWI, weekly) mg/kg bw/day
- Last Review
- 2008
Related Additives
Other colorings in the same family