Introduction: Phosphates and Phosphorous Compounds in Foods

The involvement of phosphorus in the chemistry of all living organisms is no doubt one of the most extensive and complex for any specific element. Although phosphorus constitutes only approximately 1 % of the total weight of the human body (mostly in the form of hydroxyapatite in bones and teeth) compared with 65% for oxygen, 18% for carbon, and 10% for hydrogen, phosphorous compounds intervene in metabolic cycles to an extent that makes them essential for life. ¹