Evaluation of the aluminum migration from metallic seals to coffee beverage after using a high-pressure coffee pod machine

The availability of aluminum during coffee drink preparation using a coffee pod machine was evaluated, through its determination in capsule seals, ground coffee, and coffee drink. The coffee drink preparation through a conventional filtration system and coffee pod machines was compared, having an increase around 13 % on aluminum concentration when the coffee was prepared with a coffee pod machine (459 +/- 9 mu g L-1) against the conventional filtration system (408 +/- 6 mu g L-1). The highest aluminum concentration (approximately 80 %) was found in the capsule seals, and 6 mg kg(-1) incorporated into the ground coffee during coffee drink preparation. An aluminum concentration of 0.46 mg kg(-1) was leached to the coffee drink, indicating its strong absorption by the ground coffee. This concentration represented only 0.15 % of that range recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), indicating a safe consumption of espresso coffee (5 cups/day). However, the reuse of ground coffee is of great concern, once approximately 3.5 times higher aluminum content was found in this sample. YY