AboutCarol Schlitt Expertise I can answer questions on home food safety, sanitation, home food preservation and commercial food safety (HACCP).
Experience I am an Extension educator, nutrition, wellness and food safety. I am a certified HACCP manager and a food safety instructor for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Organizations International Association for Food Protection, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (Certified CFCS), National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Society for Nutrition Education.
Education/Credentials BS - University of Illinois
MS - Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Question I am sensitive to plastics and am having to do things differently re storage and freezing of food.
Kindly tell me how safe aluminium foil is?
Thank you
Answer Hi Sylvia,
Aluminum foil is a safe product for freezing and storing food when it is used appropriately. By this I mean using it to wrap and store foods that are not acidic (tomatoes, fruits, and other acidic foods) or highly salted (pickles, sauerkraut, etc. The problem is acid and salt eats through the foil causing black spots on the food and small holes in the foil. This reaction is considered harmless but it's not attractive.
Aluminum foil has a very low moisture-vapor transfer rate -- even lower than plastics. For that reason, foil is preferred over plastic wrap for long-term food storage or freezing. Other good storage and freezing materials include glass, ceramic or paper containers. Be aware that many freezer papers are coated with plastic to make them more moisture/vapor resistance.
