Sodium aluminium phosphate in pancakes raised aluminium in urine
What it found
In 18 healthy adults, eating pancakes made with sodium aluminium phosphate for 7 days more than doubled the aluminium in their urine.
This suggests the aluminium in this additive can be taken in and absorbed by the body.
What they found
Studies in people
Aluminium in urine
After 7 days of eating high-aluminium pancakes (72 mg Al/day), the median aluminium level in urine was more than 2-fold higher than at base-line. Base-line median levels were 30-40 µmol Al/mol creatinine.
Low-aluminium pancakes
After eating low-aluminium pancakes (average intake less than 0.042 mg Al/day), urine aluminium levels did not differ significantly from base-line.
Antacid control
Taking an aluminium-containing antacid (1800 mg Al/day) for 7 days caused a 10-fold increase in median urine aluminium compared to base-line.
What the authors conclude
“Our results strongly suggest that Al in the form of SALP in a pancake mix is bioavailable for absorption in humans, which should be taken into account in risk assessment of Al in food in countries with a high use of SALP as a food additive.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say their results strongly suggest that aluminium in the form of SALP in a pancake mix is bioavailable for absorption in humans.
- They advise that this should be taken into account in risk assessment of aluminium in food in countries with a high use of SALP as a food additive.
How it was done
Food is an important source of aluminium exposure, and regular eating of foods with aluminium-based additives may lead to intakes above health-based tolerable levels. Little was known about how much aluminium from low-solubility additives like SALP can actually be absorbed.
They measured aluminium in urine from 18 healthy adult volunteers before and after 7 days of eating pancakes with low aluminium content or high aluminium content. The high-aluminium pancakes contained sodium aluminium phosphate. The volunteers did not know which pancakes contained the additive. At the end, the volunteers took an aluminium-containing antacid for 7 days as a positive control.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study measured aluminium in urine over 7 days in 18 healthy adults. It cannot show what happens with longer-term eating of SALP or in other groups of people.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden; Swedish National Food Agency, Sweden
The paper
- Title
- Increased urinary excretion of aluminium after ingestion of the food additive sodium aluminium phosphate (SALP) - a study on healthy volunteers
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Glynn A, Lignell S (2019). Increased urinary excretion of aluminium after ingestion of the food additive sodium aluminium phosphate (SALP) - a study on healthy volunteers. Food additives & contaminants. Part A, Chemistry, analysis, control, exposure & risk assessment. doi:10.1080/19440049.2019.1626998PubMed 31192767DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error