PHOSPHORUS IN THE DIET

Some phosphorus in the diet comes from naturally occurring sources such as leafy vegetables, fruits, meat, and poultry products, all of which contain naturally-occurring phosphorus in the form of phosphate or phytate-based phosphates. Additional sources of phosphorus in the diet originate from ingredients added to food products include baking powder, meat pickling ingredients, carbonated cola drinks, and dietary supplements. Phosphorus is added for various technical and functional effects in foods.

In particular, if one reviews standards of identity promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), phosphates are used in pasteurized cheese products, ice cream, frozen custard, breads, rolls, buns, flour, macaroni products, fruit jellies and preserves and jams, frozen eggs, vanilla powder, as well as many indirect food uses for these substances.

Many food phosphate ingredients are recognized by the FDA as substances generally recognized as safe, i.e., GRAS-listed with no limitations as to uses and levels of use other than current good manufacturing practices. These phosphates provide unique functional technical effects in the food products to which they are added. The level of use is restricted only to what is required to achieve technical effects in the food systems wherein they are used, and this is limited by what are known as current good manufacturing practices.

The World Health Organization and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations have developed a Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives to review the safety of all food additives including phosphates. This organization has developed what is known as a maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI) associated with phosphates in the diet, which is 70 mg/kg/bw/person/day. Surveys conducted by the International Food Additives Council (IFAC) from the years 1980 through 1994 have documented the actual decline of added phosphates in the diet in the United States. This information indicates that phosphates added to the diet have remained constant for the 15-year period surveyed by IFAC and comprise about 10% of the MTDI, i.e., 7 mg/kg/bw/person/day. This is based on a population-adjusted figure for the substances when added to food in the United States. These IFAC data support the position that added food phosphates represent a consistently low (less than 10% of MTDI) dietary exposure for the last several years when adjusted for population increases.

In summary, phosphates in the diet are used extensively for various technical and functional effects in food and have remained relatively constant for the last several years.

PHOSPHORUS IN THE DIET - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION