Estimates of dietary exposure to aluminium

Daily intakes of aluminium were estimated for 14 age-sex groups based on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Total Diet Study dietary exposure model. The aluminium content of the core foods of the FDA Total Diet Study were determined by analyses, recipe calculation, or literature values and coupled with information on food consumption from the 1987-88 US Department of Agriculture Nationwide Food Consumption Survey. Estimates of aluminium intakes ranged from 0.7 mg/day for 6-11-month-old infants to 11.5 mg/day for 14-16-year-old males. Average intakes for adult men and women were 8-9 and 7 mg/day, respectively. The major contributors to daily intake of aluminium were foods with aluminium-containing food additives, e.g. grain products and processed cheese.