Applications of Aluminum in Food and Packaging

Aluminum is one of the safest and most widely used metals for food-contact applications. Its non-toxic nature, lack of odor or taste, excellent corrosion resistance, superior barrier properties, extremely light weight, and infinite recyclability make it the dominant material in global food and beverage packaging.1. Main Forms in Food Packaging

• Aluminum foil (typically 6–200 μm thick)
  • Household foil (for baking, grilling, and food preservation)
  • Composite flexible packaging foil (ultra-thin 6–9 μm foil laminated with plastic films or paper)
• Aluminum cans
  • Two-piece cans (drawn and wall-ironed body + lid): the most common packaging for carbonated beverages and beer
  • Three-piece cans: used for powdered milk, protein powder, nuts, edible oils, etc.
• Aluminum easy-open ends (stay-on-tab ring-pull lids and full-aperture peel-off lids)
• Aluminum foil containers, airline meal trays, and barbecue trays
• Aluminum-plastic laminated tubes (for toothpaste, condensed milk, sauces, caviar, etc.)
• Aseptic paper-aluminum-plastic composite cartons (mainstream packaging for milk, juices, and plant-based beverages)

2. Core Advantages of Aluminum in Food Packaging

• Outstanding barrier properties: completely blocks oxygen, moisture, light, and aromas (shelf life up to 2–3 years)
• Extreme lightweight: an aluminum can of the same volume is 70–90% lighter than a glass bottle
• Wide temperature tolerance: suitable from –40°C freezing to direct 400°C oven use
• Food-safety compliance: meets the strictest global standards for food-contact materials
• Highest recycling value: recycling requires only 5% of the energy needed for primary aluminum production; global average can recycling rate exceeds 70% (over 95% in some countries)