Question: What is Trisodium Phosphate and What Is It Doing In Our Food?

(NaturalNews – Zach C. Miller) Certain working professionals, such as carpenters and painters, might know what trisodium phosphate (TSP) is. They’d know that TSP is an industrial cleaning agent used for paint prep work, as a degreasing agent, as a mildew remover, siding cleaner and lead abating agent. However, what these working pros wouldn’t expect is for TSP to be in their breakfast, lunch, and toothpaste!

TSP used for industrial cleaning comes with first aid warnings on it due to the compound’s extreme alkalinity. Yet, breakfast cereal manufacturers are bold enough to put this product in their cereals and even list it right on the ingredient label! Go ahead right now and look in your cabinet, if you have a mainstream breakfast cereal in there you might see TSP listed on the label in plain sight.

TSP and the FDA’s hypocrisy

The FDA has approved TSP to be generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Because of its alkalinizing cleaning properties, TSP has been used in dishwashing and laundry products over the years. But government studies have found that TSP is bad for the environment and as such TSP was phased out of common household cleaning products in 2011. The hypocrisy of this is outstanding; TSP is bad for our ecology, but it’s okay to put it in food!?

Along with GMOs and gluten, TSP is another item you’ll probably want to add to your list of things to avoid in foods that you buy and support with your dollar. Luckily, TSP usually is easily visible on the ingredients list, so if you know where to look you can avoid buying it for your family.

What types of products contain trisodium phosphate?

Among the cereals that contain it are Wheaties, most types of Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Trader Joe’s brands, and others. It appears that most General Mills cereal brands contain TSP. However, there are many brands of cereals that potentially have TSP added as an ingredient so check your labels. Some other foods and products that contain TSP include:

– Processed meats
– Processed cheese
– Many canned soups
– Commercial cakes and baked goods (added as a leavening agent)
– Toothpastes
– Baby toothpastes
– Mouthwash
– Hair coloring and bleaching products

The FDA has stated that TSP is not a risk in food, but on the PAN Pesticides Database-Chemicals website it clearly states to avoid contact with TSP, either internally or topically (as in hair products). Some of the health problems that can arise from ingesting TSP are: irritation the gastric mucosa, reduction of lactic acid in muscles, a mineral imbalance leading to loss of calcium from bones, and calcification of the kidneys. The daily recommended value of TSP is 70mg. Western diets consisting of junk food sometimes reach upwards of 500mg of TSP, which leads to an increased risk of developing osteoporosis and other health problems.

Sources for this article include
http://www.onlineholistichealth.com/trisodium-phosphate-food/
http://www.nutrition.und.edu*1
http://www.foodfacts.com
http://www.activistpost.com