Potassium Phosphate

Phosphates are usually called chemical bonds of different metals with phosphoric acid. Currently, there are a large number of varieties of phosphate, which are used in various fields of activity. Not exception is potassium phosphate, which is often used as an antioxidant and bactericide in the food industry. It should be noted that antioxidants are substances that suppress the oxidation of other substances. For example, consider the bitten apple, which in the air darkens. This happens because the oxygen contained in the air oxidizes the iron contained in the fruit. If the potassium phosphate is poured into the bite, the oxidation process will slow down many times. Thus, the metabolism in the body of bacteria is suppressed. That's why it is used as a preservative.

It should be noted that all phosphate compounds that occur in nature are orthophosphates. Most often in the food industry are used orthophosphates of potassium (salts of orthophosphoric acid), one of which is E340. In industry, potassium orthophosphate E340, called monophosphate, is a food additive used as a regulator of acidity, a moisture-retaining agent, as well as a stabilizer, a color fixer, an antioxidant action enhancer. This additive has the following chemical formula: KH2PO4, it dissolves well in water and has the form of a granular white powder.

Orthophosphoric acid, reacting with potassium carbonate, forms potassium phosphate, the formula of which is K3PO4. It is used as a component of detergents, additives in bakery and confectionery products, soft drinks and dairy products, as well as soups, pastes and sauces, teas, cheese, meat and fish products, and instant food products. In addition, it is used as a green stabilizer for vegetables, since it maintains the acidity of the neutral medium. In medicine, K3PO4 is used to prevent and treat a disease such as hypophosphatemia, and in industrial production - as an additive to paints, corrosion inhibitors and various drilling fluids.

It should be noted that potassium phosphate, which is part of the powders, leads to an increase in the toxic properties of surface active substances. They begin to penetrate more intensively into the human body through the skin, promote its degreasing, destroy cell membranes, thereby reducing the protective function of the skin. Surface active substances, penetrating into the vessels in the skin, get into the blood and spread throughout the body, which contributes to the violation of blood properties and the functioning of the immune system.

Thus, to date, potassium phosphate is used as a phosphorus fertilizer, as one of the components of liquid and powder detergents, in drilling operations. It is also used in the cement and textile industries, in the latter in the preparation of yarn for dying or bleaching, in the food industry for loosening dough, in medicine for the preparation of medicines, toothpastes or powders. Crystals of potassium phosphates are used as ferroelectrics or piezoelectric materials, pesticides, additives for oils and the like.

However, it is worth remembering that phosphates adversely affect the human body, causing disruptions in his work, in the event that a person for a long time is subject to their influence. This is why many countries have abandoned the use of phosphates in the food and household industries. In our country, their use is allowed, so very often on the labels of various products or household products you can find the designation E340, that is, potassium phosphate.