Food safety is one of the most important things you need to think about. With our hectic and fast-paced lives nowadays, it's not easy looking at every ingredient in our foods. But there is one small thing I would like you to pay close attention to. Aluminum in baking powder. So, if you’re wondering are all brands of baking powder aluminum-free, you’re in the right place.
Not all brands of baking are aluminum-free. Many brands definitely have some aluminum in them. But most brands in the market are aluminum-free and completely safe to eat like Whole Foods, Rumford, or Gefen Backing Powder. It mostly affects the taste when the baking powder has aluminum in it.
That is just one part of the whole story though. There is some debate on whether the aluminum-free baking powder is even healthier for you or not. But aluminum-free baking powder tastes better. This is a sentiment that is pretty much universally agreed upon. I will go in-depth into why you want your baking powder to be aluminum-free and what brands you should be buying.
What is The Deal with Aluminum Free Baking Powder?
Let's get to the basics first. Aluminum in baking powder is a huge debate to this day and I am not quite sure when it will end. But there is debate on whether aluminum in baking powder is actually bad for you and your health.
Aluminum is a key ingredient in baking powder. In essence, baking powder is baking soda that has been mixed with acid. You will use it mostly to raise baked goods. It fills it with air, basically, and has been used in place of yeast for quite a while now.
Don’t worry about the acid though – cornstarch is here to save the day. It is used to stop the acid from reacting with the base. Cornstarch acts as a buffer in this case.
What baking powder does is give your baked goods more volume and also will lighten the texture.
Now, where does aluminum come into the whole picture? Well, aluminum is used since it is heat-activated. You can be sure that it will only start to activate when you put it in the oven.
If a baking powder doesn't have aluminum in it, then it is more likely to be liquid-activated instead of heat. But what does that mean? Well, it essentially means that they start to work their magic quicker.
In fact, aluminum-free baking powders will start working and doing their thing even before you put it in the oven. You need to work quickly when using aluminum-free baking powder. Delaying it can ruin your cake (or whatever you are baking) and can cause more bubbles to form.
Now there are several reasons why some might choose to go with aluminum-free baking powder. But I will dive into that a bit later. Let's first check out how you will tell which brands are aluminum-free.
Is It Important to Use Aluminum Free Baking Powder?
Now, with all that said and done, the question arises why should you even bother shopping for aluminum-free baking powder. Is it even worth it? At first, knowing that there is aluminum in baking powder can be quite scary.
It's a metal and normal sense would tell you that eating metal is in no way right for your health. And what about the taste? Is that affected in any way? Let's get into more details.
Health
This one is a bit iffy. There are scientists on both sides of the camp. Some say that consuming aluminum in very small quantities is safe.
The other side of the camp says that it should be removed from our food. Some studies have found that it is a suspected risk factor for a disease known as Alzheimer′s disease.
A study was done by ScienceDirect and noted that it may directly increase the process of Alzheimer’s disease.
Other papers on the matter, for example, a paper that is titled ‘Some Objections To The Use Of Alum Baking-Powder’ by William J. Gies, Ph.D. says that it is harmful.
Now, this is of course a matter that needs to be discussed with your doctor and experts in the field. You need to consult and talk about it directly to your doctor. But for me, I think it is best to avoid it altogether.
Taste
One thing I can give my opinion on is the taste. This is totally my department. When you take the time to bake something and make it all ready to be served to your friends, family, or even colleagues, you would want it to be as tasty as possible. Right?
Here is the thing with using baking powder that has aluminum in it. It can alter the taste of what you are baking. The taste can become a little metallic. To be more specific, you might experience a bit of a tinny taste.
On top of that, it can also get a sort of purple hue. So, a very important benefit of using baking powder that doesn't have aluminum is in fact that there will not be any bad taste. Your cakes and cupcakes will come out just the way you want them to.
And yes, aluminum-free baking powder does cost a bit more. But really, they only cost a tad bit more but what they do for the taste is quite phenomenal. It is one of those things that you need to experience first before you realize how much you need it.
Brands That Are Aluminum Free
Alright, then. So, by now you should know that all brands are not aluminum-free. There are some brands out there that will mention that there is aluminum in the baking powder. And some aluminum-free brands will also explicitly mention it.
That is the good news. To be very honest, finding out which brands are aluminum-free is quite easy. All you need to do is just look at the ingredients.
Let’s just say that aluminum is present in a brand’s baking powder. It will be most likely listed as sodium aluminum sulfate. Or it could be listed as sodium aluminum phosphate.
See the fact is some brands will want to clearly advertise that their product is free of it. So, you will see it proudly displayed possibly right on the label itself. And of course, it will be missing from the ingredients list as well.
So, knowing which brands are aluminum-free is just a matter of checking the label and keeping an eye out for it.
A lot of top brands are aluminum-free actually. You can go for Whole Foods 365, Gefen, Rumford, and more.
I figured since this is an article about aluminum-free baking powder why not make your life easier and give you a review of the top brands you can buy. These are the top 4 to choose from. And don't worry about choosing the right one all too much. All these three are safe choices if you want a premium quality product.
1. Whole Foods 365 Baking Powder
If you are looking for the best baking powder to use, Whole Foods' 365 brands of baking powders are where it is at. Everyone knows Whole Foods and they also know how trusted the brand is.
They put quality as a priority and it shows with this one. Just look at the rating of this one. Customers love it. And that definitely stands for something.
You can make some of the lightest and fluffiest cakes, bread, and other baked goods with this. Basically, anything that needs to be made with baking powder, this one can be used for it. Say goodbye to the tinny taste of other baking powders.
To get the best use out of it, you need to make sure to use a recipe since it does not tell you how much to use it exactly. And that is fine since different recipes can require different amounts of baking powder.
Here is a cool little tip, you can also use it to make wings as well. A light toss in it will help your wings be extra crispy (just what everybody likes).
2. Rumford Aluminum Free Baking Powder
When you talk about aluminum-free baking powder one of the brands that come to mind is Rumford. They have a history of making some solid products and their baking powders are no different.
If you want a simple baking powder to work it, this is the one to go for. It is completely aluminum-free and is a double-acting baking powder.
That's not all though. The most interesting thing about this one is it is gluten-free and wheat-free as well. So, if you suffer from gluten allergies, you can still enjoy baking with this one. Oh, and did I mention it is also kosher. That is a plus right there.
This is one of the highest-rated baking powders you can find that doesn't have any aluminum. And when buying customers just like you are leaving rave reviews, you can be sure this is good. just a word of caution, newer labels seem to have removed the phrase 'Aluminum Free'. But you can still check the ingredients to see that it is aluminum-free.
3. Trader Joe's Aluminum-Free Baking Powder
You cannot have a list of the best baking powders you can buy without including one option from Trader Joe’s. This one is also a double-acting baking powder that does not have any aluminum in it. You might get a bit confused at first because it does not say it is aluminum-free anywhere on the label itself.
But do not worry about it too much. You can just easily check the ingredients list and you will see that there is no trace of aluminum there. Of course, it will not state ‘aluminum- if it did have it.
If you have been paying attention so far, you will remember I stated what the ingredient will be listed as. Nonetheless, any baked goods with this one will come out just delicious.
4. Gefen Baking Powder
Chances are many of you have not heard of this brand. But this one is sort of a hidden gem. This is a premium quality baking powder that is not only aluminum-free but also gluten-free as well. So yes, people with a gluten allergy can enjoy using this one without a worry in the world.
What about cornstarch? It is cornstarch-free as well. That is a double win right there. I particularly love the resalable cover. You can use it and seal it to keep it perfectly fresh when you need to use it again. That is a pretty cool convenience if you ask me.
Little things like these might not seem too important but they really can make a difference in day-to-day use. Did I mention it is also certified kosher? Because it is.
All these four are some of the best baking powders you can buy that do not have aluminum in them. And as a bonus, some are even gluten and cornstarch-free.
No matter which one you buy, just make sure you check the ingredients. That is one of the easiest ways to tell whether you are buying the right one or not. And of course, some will have ‘aluminum free’ written on the label itself.
Double Acting Vs. Single Acting Baking Powder
You may have noticed I mentioned double-acting in a couple of places in the review section. So, what does that mean? Basically, it is pretty simple stuff. Baking powder is a leavening agent. Which means it helps the batter and dough to rise.
It contains alkaline baking soda and acid like vinegar, tartar, or lemon juice. The main difference between double acting and single acting is what type of acid is paired with the alkaline baking soda.
If a baking powder is labeled as double-acting, then it means that it will create gas bubbles twice. Once when you add it to the liquid and another time when heat is applied. Most of the baking powders you find in the store will be double-acting.
Single-acting baking powders are mostly reserved for commercial use. If you want to try out a recipe that needs single-acting baking powder, you can still substitute it with a double-acting one. Do not worry about it, it is completely fine. When people generally say baking powder, they are usually referring to double-acting though.
Alright then, there you have it. So, to answer the question are all brands of baking powder aluminum free; no, they are not. Some do have it in the ingredients list. Although there isn't any hard evidence on what health problems this kind of baking powder has, I personally would go for one without aluminum.
They taste better and will get rid of the metallic or tinny taste that you may have experienced once in a while. Plus, it is always better to be safe than sorry, in my opinion. The next time you are whipping some delicious cake, cupcakes or any kind of baked item, give the aluminum-free baking powder a try. You might just be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks a lot of stopping by and reading this article. I sincerely hope it was of help to you. Wishing you good health.
