The background value of aluminum in raw starch was investigated to provide the basis for formulating and improving relevant standards of starch products.Methods Six types of 229 raw starch were collected randomly, and aluminum was analyzed according to the national standard GB/T 5009.182-2003. Results The concentration of aluminum ranged in ND-190.43 mg/kg, most of which were low. The median value was 18.14 mg/kg and the average was 36.04 mg/kg. Aluminum content in sweet potato starch seemed to be significantly higher than other samples (P<0.05), and the average content and maximum value was respectively 69.52 and 190.43 mg/kg. ConclusionThe sweet potato was rich in aluminum, and it was necessary to strengthen the supervision upon those products. This research provided the basis for understanding the background value of aluminum.