ABSTRACT
Not until recently have food phosphates gained recognition as effective antimicrobial agents for use in food products. Although new research continues to uncover beneficial applications for the bacteriostatic and/or bactericidal properties of phosphates, these compounds have never been classified or approved for use as preservatives, antimicrobial agents, or any equivalent term indicative of those properties anywhere known to this author. Although reviews on the antimicrobial effects of phosphates in foods were published by Hargreaves et al. and by Tompkin, very little can be found on this subject even in specialized treatises. 1 – 2 It is hoped that some of the material presented in this chapter will be useful in bringing about an eventual reclassification of selected food phosphates as antimicrobial agents.
