E173 - Aluminium

At a glance

• What it is: finely divided metallic aluminium used as a surface colorant.
• What it does: creates a bright, mirror-like silver sheen on decorations.
• Where it’s found: sugar pearls (dragées), cake toppers, and other decorative coatings on confectionery.
• Also known as: E173, Aluminum (US spelling), element 13.
• Related but different: aluminium salts such as sodium aluminium phosphate or potassium aluminium silicate are separate additives with other functions.

Why is Aluminium added to food?

Aluminium is added to make decorations shine. A thin layer on the outside of a sweet or cake decoration reflects light and gives a “metallic” look that other colors cannot easily match. This use is purely visual; it does not change taste or texture. In the European Union (EU), E173 is authorised as a color for surface decoration of certain foods only, not for general coloring of entire recipes.¹

What foods contain Aluminium?

You will most often see E173 on the label of:

• Sugar-coated decorations like silver dragées and sugar pearls
• Decorative coatings on confectionery used for cakes and pastries

EU rules permit E173 for external decoration and coatings in specific categories (for example, decorations for confectionery and bakery), rather than as a general-purpose color mixed through food.²

What can replace Aluminium?

If a metallic look is not required, bakers often choose:

• White or colored coatings and glazes, sometimes with shellac or carnauba wax for shine
• Non-metallic pearly effects from mineral or plant-based colors
• Other approved metallic-look decorations, such as silver or gold, where allowed and appropriate²

Some countries formerly used titanium dioxide for bright white or pearly effects, but the EU no longer permits E171 in food.³

How is Aluminium made?

Food-grade E173 consists of high-purity aluminium that has been finely divided into powder or flakes to reflect light efficiently. EU specifications require a very high aluminium content and set strict limits for impurities such as lead, arsenic, and mercury to ensure food-grade purity.¹ In practice, manufacturers start with pure aluminium metal and mechanically mill or flake it into small particles, then clean and standardize the material to meet these specifications.¹

Is Aluminium safe to eat?

Regulators limit E173 to surface decoration and to specific food categories, which keeps intake low for most people.² Aluminium from all dietary sources has a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 1 mg per kilogram of body weight, set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).⁴ Most ingested aluminium is poorly absorbed, and healthy kidneys remove much of what is absorbed; however, total exposure from diet and other additives can approach or exceed the TWI for some high consumers, especially children.⁴

Does Aluminium have any benefits?

E173 offers visual appeal—its benefit is the shiny silver finish it provides for special-occasion sweets and decorations. It does not add nutrition or preserve food. Its use is about presentation and celebration.

Who should avoid Aluminium?

• People with reduced kidney function: the body clears aluminium mainly through the kidneys, so those with kidney disease can accumulate more aluminium and may wish to limit exposure.⁵
• Young children and frequent consumers of decorated sweets: keeping total aluminium intake below EFSA’s TWI is easier if decorative metallic colors are occasional treats.⁴

If you want to avoid it, look for “E173” or “aluminium/aluminum” on ingredient lists and choose non-metallic decorations.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “E173 is the same as aluminium foil in your body.” Fact: E173 is regulated, finely divided metal used only on surfaces and at low levels; it is not the same as eating foil.
• Myth: “All aluminium additives are identical.” Fact: Metallic E173 is different from aluminium salts like sodium aluminium phosphate or aluminium silicate, which have different uses and safety limits.
• Myth: “It’s hidden and impossible to spot.” Fact: In regions that allow it, E173 must appear on the label, often as “E173” or “aluminium.”

Aluminium in branded foods

You’re most likely to find E173 in:

• Silver dragées and metallic sugar pearls sold for cake decorating
• Pre-decorated pastries and festive confectionery with a silver-coated surface

Label tips:

• Check decoration mixes and cake toppers for “E173” or “aluminium/aluminum.”
• If you prefer to avoid metallic finishes, choose plain or colored decorations without a metallic sheen.

References

Footnotes

1. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for food additives. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (and subsequent Union list updates, e.g., Commission Regulation (EU) No 1129/2011) — Authorised uses and conditions. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32008R1333 ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/63 — Titanium dioxide (E171) no longer permitted in foods in the EU. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022R0063 ↩

4. Safety of aluminium from dietary intake — EFSA Scientific Opinion (TWI 1 mg/kg bw/week). https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2008.754 ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. Aluminum ToxFAQs — Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tfacts22.pdf ↩