ABSTRACT
Phosphorus intake has long been a known risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients and the dialysis population, but recent studies show this risk factor also exists in individuals with normal renal function. With the increase in the consumption of processed and convenience foods in the last decades, dietary phosphorus load has progressively increased and now far exceeds the nutrient requirements of men and women in Western cultures. The typical North American dietary pattern, characterized by a rise in processed food, fast food, and soft drink consumption, slipped across the Atlantic during the last decade, and Europe is now faced with the same high phosphorus 314intake. About 100,000 tons of phosphates are used for food applications in Europe every year. Food labels report the ingredients and food additives in packaged foods by either full name or by codification with E-numbers (e.g., E 450), but do not report the quantity of phosphorus that they contain. The compelling health need to quantify the phosphorus content of food that is addressed in this chapter has been ignored by the health authorities and politicians until now. Recently, efforts have been initiated to inform the European medical community and general public about the health risks of excess phosphorus intake per se and specifically about potential harmful contributions from phosphorus additives. These efforts led to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) mandate to scientifically assess the concerns raised related to phosphate additives in food. Against this background some considerable cooperation between the food industry and medical researchers has emerged. These and other efforts initiated by the European medical community are becoming even more important because phosphorus can be a health risk with its widespread addition to food, but it is also a limited natural resource and indispensible nutrient to humans, livestock, and agriculture which in excess can endanger the health of our environmental water resources. Growing awareness of the double-edge problem that excess phosphorus represents may hopefully lead to a more responsible and cautious use of phosphorus by the food industry, politicians, agriculturalists and the general population in Europe.
