Divine Aleru is an accomplished biochemist and researcher with a specialized background in environmental toxicology, focusing on the impacts of heavy metals on human health. With deep-rooted expertise in microbiome signatures analysis, Divine seamlessly blends rigorous scientific training with her passion for deciphering the intricate relationships between environmental exposures and the human microbiome. Her career is distinguished by a commitment to advancing integrative health interventions, leveraging cutting-edge microbiome research to illuminate how toxic metals shape biological systems. Driven by curiosity and innovation, Divine is dedicated to translating complex environmental findings into actionable insights that improve individual and public health outcomes. 
Divine Aleru is an accomplished biochemist and researcher with a specialized background in environmental toxicology, focusing on the impacts of heavy metals on human health. With deep-rooted expertise in microbiome signatures analysis, Divine seamlessly blends rigorous scientific training with her passion for deciphering the intricate relationships between environmental exposures and the human microbiome. Her career is distinguished by a commitment to advancing integrative health interventions, leveraging cutting-edge microbiome research to illuminate how toxic metals shape biological systems. Driven by curiosity and innovation, Divine is dedicated to translating complex environmental findings into actionable insights that improve individual and public health outcomes. What was issued?
The aluminium content of infant formulas remains too high appears as a BMC Pediatrics study that measures aluminium in 30 widely used UK infant formulas and concludes that contamination persists at concerning levels for daily infant intake; the paper reports ready-to-drink and powdered products with aluminium typically around 100–430 µg/L and soya products up to about 756 µg/L, and it urges regulatory action beyond voluntary measures to lower aluminium to the minimum practical level.
Who is affected?
Infant formula manufacturers face direct scrutiny because their products supply most dietary aluminium for many infants during early life, and packaging suppliers face pressure because foil seals and laminate layers can contribute aluminium; retailers and certifiers need stronger verification of aluminium specifications and labels, while clinicians and public health officials must guide parents who rely on formula as a primary or exclusive feed, with special focus on preterm infants and high-volume consumers who accumulate higher doses.
Most important findings
The study finds measurable aluminium in every product tested and shows estimated daily intakes that reach several hundred micrograms per day at common feeding volumes, with soya-based formulas producing the highest intakes; the authors note concentrations that exceed the 50 µg/L reference used for EU drinking water and frequently approach or surpass the 200 µg/L parametric value at the tap, and they question reliance on the 1 mg/kg body-weight weekly intake for infants because that value derives from adult-oriented assessments and does not reflect neonatal physiology or exposure patterns; the data implicate ingredients and contact materials as sources and show higher values in some plastic bottles sealed with aluminium foil, which strengthens the case for root-cause controls and not only end-product testing.
Key implications
Industry should tighten raw-material specifications for mineral salts, soya bases, and process aids, and it should qualify packaging that eliminates or isolates aluminium layers where feasible; quality teams should validate mixing, storage, and fill steps that can shed aluminium and they should verify finished-product aluminium by batch using a sensitive method such as graphite furnace AAS; brands should publish aluminium content ranges and serving-based exposure estimates, and certifiers should set audit criteria that compare labelled or measured concentrations to infant-specific exposure targets rather than adult TWIs; public health programs should advise parents to select lower-aluminium formulas when breastfeeding is not possible and they should monitor infants with high soya formula use, while regulators should set an infant-formula aluminium benchmark aligned with drinking-water practice and require root-cause corrective actions when products exceed that benchmark so cumulative exposure declines in early life.
Citation
Chuchu, N., Patel, B., Sebastian, B., & Exley, C. (2013). The aluminium content of infant formulas remains too high. BMC Pediatrics, 13, 162. DOI:10.1186/1471-2431-13-162
Aluminum is a pervasive metal found in a wide range of consumer products, from food packaging and cookware to medications and personal care items. Although often overlooked, aluminum exposure can accumulate over time, posing long-term health risks, especially to vulnerable populations like infants, children, and individuals with kidney conditions.
