In order to understand the content of background aluminum in wheat and wheat flour from Shandong Province and provide a reference for the aluminum limit requirements of wheat flour products, a total of 550 samples of wheat, wheat flour, wheat bran and wheat flour products in 16 cities of Shandong Province were randomly collected for two consecutive years, and their aluminum contents were determined by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The results showed that there were significant differences in aluminum content between wheat and wheat flour in Shandong Province (P<0.05). The aluminum content in wheat ranged from 4.04 to 69.1 mg/kg with an average value of 22.4 mg/kg, whilst the aluminum content in wheat flour ranged from 0.250 to 43.8 mg/kg with an average value of 5.82 mg/kg. Aluminum was generally commonly present in wheat and wheat flour samples collected in different periods and cities, and there were significant differences (P<0.05) in the content of aluminum in wheat and wheat flour of different years and cities. Finally, 92.6 mg/kg and 44.0 mg/kg were selected as the reference values of aluminum background values for the wheat and wheat flour in Shandong Province. The research results can provide data support for the formulation and modification of the limit standard of wheat flour and its products, and offer a scientific basis for food inspection and food safety supervision departments. It is suggested that the limits of aluminum in wheat flour and its products should be set according to the actual situation.
