Everyone loves to eat – that much is true. And we all know that food safety is a primary concern for all of us. This is why we really need to know if compounds like trisodium phosphate and other compounds found in our food are safe. But, before we go further into that, what is trisodium phosphate and should we be worried if it is in our food?
Basic Information About Trisodium Phosphate
Trisodium phosphate is described as a food additive, meaning it is a man-made product that is added to some of our food. Processed food needs trisodium phosphate so that it doesn’t spoil easily, especially if the food is not kept in a refrigerator or freezer. Fast food restaurants also regularly use trisodium phosphate but this is not common knowledge among fans of fast food products.
At the moment, the FDA considers trisodium phosphate to be a safe compound to add to our food supply. But some claim that this compound is harmful to human health when consumed in excess. There are also some who claim that the trisodium phosphate found in our processed food products is the same trisodium phosphate that is found in industrial products like paint thinner. However, this claim has no scientific basis yet and is still subject to research.
How Does Trisodium Phosphate Work?
As a food additive, trisodium phosphate has several functions that make it desirable to add to processed food. These are:
- Lessens Acidity in Food While Enhancing Texture
- Serves as Leavening Agent of Baked Products – This means the dough is able to rise and maintain form before being baked.
- Retains Moisture While Boosting Shelf Life – This is why it is added to processed meat and processed seafood products. So the processed products don’t quickly spoil.
- Serves as Thickening Agent for Various Food
- Helps Prevent Darkening of Soda Liquid
- Allows Oil and Water to Remain Mixed in the Same Processed Cheese Product
Why Is Trisodium Phosphate Possibly Harmful to Human Health?
When processed food is something that you don’t consume regularly, then the trisodium phosphate food additive is probably not a health risk yet. However, those who consume processed food regularly are putting themselves at risk of consuming too much trisodium phosphate.
This, in turn, maybe a health risk because there are medical conditions that are caused by overconsumption of this food additive. Some of these are:
- Problems With Kidneys
- Premature Aging
- Some Bone Density Loss
- Heart Ailments
- Premature Death
- Soft Tissue Calcification
- Irritation of Stomach and Intestinal Lining
- Muscles Experience Lactic Acid Reduction
In addition, people who already have or are at risk for osteopenia, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease, heart ailments, and kidney disease should avoid trisodium phosphate and other similar artificial compounds to avoid worsening symptoms of their disorder or disease.
It is always best to consume processed food in moderation and definitely not on a daily basis so you don’t ingest too much of the food additive and other compounds. The US FDA states that a maximum of 70 grams of food-grade trisodium phosphate per day is permissible to consume without experiencing health effects. However, you may want to go “cold turkey” for this one because it is always best not to eat processed food at all.
How To Avoid Food That Has Trisodium Phosphate
- Check the Label Before You Purchase – Since the FDA hasn’t banned this food additive, the manufacturer should display the ingredients on the label so that consumers can check.
- Check if the Trisodium Phosphate in Your Food is Food Grade – Processed food generally uses the food-grade trisodium phosphate, not the industrial-grade variety that are used in industrial products such as paint thinner. When you are reading food ingredient labels, you might find the food additive trisodium phosphate listed as E339. If you don’t trust the ingredient labels of your processed food products, try googling the information to determine what is in your processed food.
- Avoid Fast Food Products – Generally, many fast-food restaurants and processed food manufacturers tend to add a lot of trisodium phosphate to their products. So if you want to cut back on consumption of the food additive trisodium phosphate, reduce your intake of fast food products (or even eliminate the practice of buying these altogether, to be on the safe side).
- Switch to Fresh Food Ingredients – You probably know by now that fresh food such as fruits and vegetables as well as a small amount of protein are safe to consume and even desirable in your diet. The more you buy fresh food such as freshly slaughtered meat and new cheese and prepare your meals yourself, the less trisodium phosphate you will be consuming. You also will be improving your health because processed food consumption has been linked to some medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Kinds of Processed Food That Contain Food-Grade Trisodium Phosphate
- Cheese and Cheese Sauces
- Processed Meat Products such as Luncheon Meat, Bacon and Sausage
- Muffins
- Cake Mixes
- Bread
- Breakfast Cereals
- Breakfast Bars
- Rice Syrup
- Pizza Dough
- Canned Soup
- Canned Tuna
- Frozen Pre-Prepared Meals
- Soda
- Fruit-flavored Drinks
- Flavored Water
- Sweetened Iced Tea
- Boxed Macaroni and Cheese
- Non-dairy Creamers
Though not a food in itself, toothpaste has also been found to contain trisodium phosphate. This may be why it is inadvisable to swallow toothpaste. In relation to that, mouthwash also contains trisodium phosphate. Since you use these two products in your mouth, there is a good chance that you are also ingesting small amounts of trisodium phosphate too from these because of their contact with your saliva.
Conclusion
You may now safely assume that trisodium phosphate does exist in processed food. If you want to steer clear of the food additive trisodium phosphate, you will have to examine the food labels of the processed food you are interested in consuming. Even small amounts of this can be fully absorbed by your body, so if you want to avoid it altogether, you may have to go cold turkey about buying processed food so that you will cease to be at risk for ingesting this food additive. The good news is that if you do that, you will probably also be avoiding certain health conditions altogether.