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Pomegranate and plum paste are acidic products that are often used in the preparation of most local foods in Guilan province. As the preparation of these pastes is mainly done in the aluminum containers traditionally, there is a possibility of aluminum leaking into the pomegranate and plum puree during processing. The presence of aluminum in the diet as a contaminant has aroused the concern of many researchers and many studies have been conducted to track the relation between the aluminum intake and the occurrence of the disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, breast cancer, neurological syndromes, and anemia and the link has been proved. In this study, pomegranate and plum paste from 13 different cities of the Guilan province were collected and the amounts of aluminum in them were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry after digestion by dry, wet, and microwave ashing methods. The results showed contamination of pomegranate and plum pastes with high amounts of the aluminum that was higher in plum paste in comparison to the pomegranate paste. The concentration of aluminum in the case of digestion by microwave was higher than the other two methods. Although the aluminum concentration in all samples did not exceed the tolerable level defined by WHO, continuous and long-term use, considering exposure to the other sources of contamination, would be a serious health threat. Therefore, it is necessary to pay more attention to the safe processing of these products.

Keywords: Pomegranate paste, plum paste, aluminum, atomic absorption spectrometry, processing containers

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