EFSA issues new advice on phosphates
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued new advice concerning phosphates after finding that the estimated total intake of phosphates from food may exceed the safe level set by the agency.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued new advice concerning phosphates after finding that the estimated total intake of phosphates from food may exceed the safe level set by the agency. EFSA’s scientists recommend the introduction of maximum permitted levels to reduce the content of phosphates when used as additives in food supplements as those who take them regularly may be at risk.
Phosphates are essential nutrients (a form of phosphorus), which are present naturally in the human body and are an essential part of our diet. A group of substances commonly referred to as “phosphates” are authorized as food additives in the European Union. They are added to a wide range of foods for “technological” functions (e.g., as emulsifiers, antioxidants). Some of them can be used in foods for infants and young children.
“The panel has reassessed the safety of phosphates and derived, for the first time, a group acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight [mg/kg bw] per day,” said Ursula Gundert-Remy, chair of EFSA’s working group on phosphates. “Because phosphates are also nutrients and essential to our diets, in our approach we defined an ADI which considers the likely phosphorus intake from various sources, including natural sources and food additives.”
The ADI corresponds to an intake of 2.8 grams of phosphorus per day for an average adult weighing 70 kg (about 154 lb).
Dietary exposure was calculated from the total amount of phosphorus from all dietary sources and not limited to the levels in food additives reported by manufacturers. The experts estimated that food additives indicatively contribute between 6%–30% of the total average intake of phosphorus.
“We estimated that dietary exposure to phosphates may exceed the new ADI for infants, toddlers, and children with average consumption of phosphates in their diet. This is also the case for adolescents whose diet is high in phosphates,” said Maged Younes, chair of EFSA’s expert Panel on Food Additives and Flavorings (FAF). “The data we had did not give rise to safety concerns in infants below 16 weeks of age consuming formula and food for medical purposes containing phosphates.”
Existing maximum permitted levels of these additives in food range from 500 to 20,000 mg/kg of food depending on the food type.
EFSA’s scientific advice will inform risk managers in the European Commission and Member States who regulate the safe use of phosphates as food additives in the EU.