Nutritional and Toxicological Aspects of Natural and Added Phosphates in Foods and Feeds

Because of the prevalence of the element phosphorus and of phosphorous compounds in many food products (see Chapter 1), concerns about the potential toxicity of added food phosphates has been a major regulatory argument against a more widespread allowance for use of these additives in foods. According to Ellinger, this has been one of the reasons cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to justify caution concerning food uses of phosphates. ¹ Other reasons given by the FDA are the prospect of phosphate use for improving the quality of damaged food products and the opportunities that these compounds might offer for adding water to foods.