Food-grade phosphates: the "all-rounder" hidden in food
2025-04-08 16:21:10
Food-grade phosphates: the "all-rounder" hidden in food
In the sausages on supermarket shelves, the cheese in the refrigerator, and even the carbonated drinks in your hands, there is a class of seemingly unfamiliar but vital food additives - phosphates. These white powders play more than twenty different roles in the food industry, and the global consumption of food-grade phosphates has exceeded 3 million tons per year. How do they affect our diet? Let's unveil the mystery of these "food architects".
1. Enter the food-grade phosphate family
Phosphates are compounds containing phosphorus, oxygen and other metal ions. In the food industry, they are mainly produced through acid-base neutralization reactions. Food-grade phosphates must comply with national food safety standards such as GB 1886.15-2015, and the content of impurities such as heavy metals and arsenic is strictly controlled at the ppm level (parts per million). The main members include:
1. The three brothers of orthophosphates
Trisodium phosphate (magician of pH adjustment): creates a smooth taste in noodles and makes luncheon meat appear attractive pink
Disodium hydrogen phosphate (emulsification stabilization expert): protects the stability of plant protein beverages and maintains the delicate texture of cream cheese
Sodium dihydrogen phosphate (acidity regulator): gives carbonated beverages a refreshing sour taste and extends the shelf life of baked goods
2. Polyphosphate Army
Sodium tripolyphosphate (water holding champion) can keep the water content of frozen shrimps above 90% after thawing, sodium hexametaphosphate (chelation expert) can prevent juice from oxidizing and discoloring, and sodium pyrophosphate (texture improver) keeps the filling of quick-frozen dumplings fresh and juicy.
3. Special phosphates
Calcium dihydrogen phosphate is used as a leavening agent to increase the volume of cakes by more than 30%; iron phosphate is used as a nutritional enhancer to increase the iron absorption rate of cereal products to 3 times that of traditional forms.
2. The invisible engine of the food industry
In the meat processing workshop, 0.3% sodium tripolyphosphate injection increases the water retention of ham from 75% to 95%; on the beverage production line, sodium hexametaphosphate combines with metal ions to ensure that orange juice does not precipitate within 12 months; in the dairy factory, disodium hydrogen phosphate combines with casein to form a micelle structure with a diameter of about 50nm, which is the key to cheese drawing.
The magic of these inorganic salts lies in their unique chemical properties: phosphate ions are negatively charged, which can not only combine with the amino group of protein to change the isoelectric point, but also lock metal ions through chelation. The long chain structure of polyphosphate can penetrate into muscle fibers and combine with actomyosin to improve water retention.
call us : 
send a message : 
online service
+8613866722531
pweiping@techemi.com
pweiping
+8613866722531