Inorganic Phosphorus in Processed Foods Is Fully Absorbed by the Body

One bite of fried chicken, one sip of bubble tea - be careful, what you are swallowing may not only be a high amount of trans fatty acids, but you may also be taking in excessive phosphorus into your body at the same time.

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for the human body and the second most abundant mineral in the body, second only to calcium in content, and it is mainly found in protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, and legumes. According to the Dietary Reference Intakes for nutrients for people in Taiwan, China, the recommended daily intake for the average adult is 800 mg, and for adolescents aged 13 to 18 it is 1000 mg.

Phosphates, which are widely used as food additives, are like versatile magicians. For example, when added to pork balls they provide functions such as water retention and binding; when added to pearls and rice products they can increase chewiness and preserve freshness; and when phosphates are added to creamer and milk, they can maintain the stability of the substance.

Jin Huimin, director of the Nutrition Department at Taipei City Hospital, says that phosphorus in ordinary foods is organic phosphorus, with a human absorption rate of about 10% to 30%, but the phosphate additives in processed foods are inorganic phosphorus, and "the human absorption rate is almost 100%."

Ministry of Health and Welfare Plans to Relax Phosphate Additive Limits, Experts Worried

What worries Chen Juncheng even more is that in April this year the Ministry of Health and Welfare publicly announced that it would systematically review the "Standards for the Scope of Use and Limits of Food Additives." Many phosphate additives originally had a uniform limit of 3 grams per kilogram, but now they are being discussed separately, and the limits for almost every food have only increased, never decreased.

Among them, chewing gum has the highest limit, at 44 grams per kilogram, and the calculation basis has changed from "phosphate radical" to "phosphorus," making the overall calculated amount 3 times that of the past.

In response, Kao Yiting, section chief of the Food Division at the Food and Drug Administration, said that this draft by the Food and Drug Administration is still at a very preliminary stage of discussion and nothing has been finalized yet. The revision of the limits for phosphate additives is intended to align with international standards, since academia still has two schools of debate over this type of additive and there is no conclusion yet.

Kao Yiting emphasized that the Food and Drug Administration is currently conducting an exposure assessment based on the dietary habits of people in Taiwan, China. In amending the law, it will not only refer to international regulations but will also set suitable values based on the dietary habits of the people.

Hsu Huiyu, on the other hand, reminds that taking meat products as an example, people in Europe and the United States at most eat processed meat products such as hamburger patties and ham, but meat processing in Taiwan, China is highly varied, from all kinds of balls to varieties of dried meat, with far more product items than in European and American countries. In addition, the calcium intake of people in Taiwan, China is not as high as that of people in Europe and the United States. If the amount of phosphate additives in each food item is increased, the total daily phosphorus intake will rise substantially. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration should also take more account of local conditions when amending the regulations.

Meat processing in Taiwan, China is more varied than in the West, and the chance of using phosphate additives is also higher. (Photo source / Xiaowanzi2009@flickr)

To make noodles chewy and springy, phosphate additives are also often added. (Photo source / cktzeng@flickr)

The bubble tea that people in Taiwan, China love to drink every day also often uses phosphate additives to make the pearls chewy. (Photo source / kattebelletje@flickr)

95% of junior high school students drink sugary beverages every day; 1 cup of bubble tea per day adds 2 kg per month

Processed foods contain a lot of phosphorus; dietitians worry they may become another kind of trans fat