A separate group among food additives is occupied by transparent and tasteless polysphate crystals, which are indicated by the common marking E452. These substances are present in many food products, as they are powerful stabilizers, in addition, they are often used as thickeners.
However, are they so safe for health, as buyers assure them of this?
Action E452
As already understood, E 452 is a food supplement. Whether it is dangerous or not is a rather controversial issue, because in many countries its use is widely practiced, while in others it is strictly prohibited. To deal with this, you need to find out what action this stimulant has and what effect it has on the body.
It should be noted that due to its unique properties, this additive is widely used in many fields of activity. For example, in the industrial sector E 452 is used to prevent the development of mold, and in metallurgy to stop corrosion.
The additive has emollient and degreasing properties, in connection with which this substance can be seen in the list of components that make up detergents. In addition, this additive is used in the manufacture of various coatings having anti-corrosion properties in the paint industry.
Benefit and harm
According to the results of scientific research, substances of the E 452 group take an active part in almost all internal processes occurring in the human body at the cellular level. It's no secret that polyphosphates have a positive effect on blood coagulation and are a source of essential nutrients. However, few people know that it is supplement E 452 that stimulates the production of "bad" cholesterol. It is deposited on the walls of blood vessels, thereby "clogging" them.
Another minus of E 452 is that this food supplement is very poorly excreted from the body. As a result of regular consumption of food products containing this stabilizer, a kind of “reserve” of phosphates is formed inside a person. They are not toxic and do not cause allergies, however, they are dangerous, they are carcinogens, leading to the formation of tumors.
Production methods
E 452 - food supplement. What is specific is described above. To fully appreciate its benefits and harms, you should also understand how it is extracted. This stabilizer is obtained by heating sodium hydrogen phosphate to a temperature above 600 degrees. At the exit, a transparent or translucent powdery substance is formed.
In fact, E 452 is a polymer of phosphoric acid. There are several types of polyphosphates with this marking. In general, this subgroup of food additives includes polyphosphates:
- potassium;
- calcium
- potassium sodium;
- sodium;
- ammonium
All of them have unique properties. Quite often, the supplement is combined with other similar substances, for example, citrates or phosphates.
Application in the food industry
A few years ago, the harm of E 452 was greatly underestimated, and therefore this supplement was widely used in the manufacture of various food products. Currently, it is banned in many states, with the exception of some EU countries, Russia and Ukraine.
Polyphosphates can be seen in many familiar foods: condensed milk, processed cheeses, canned fish and meat, and some milk mixtures. Also, this additive is present in most popular sausages and even coffee sticks. These are far from the only products in the manufacture of which E452 is used. It is not surprising, because this compound slows down chemical reactions, so that products are stored longer and do not deteriorate.
Therefore, adherents of a healthy diet when buying goods in supermarkets and stores should pay attention to the presence of substance E 452 in the composition. It is highly likely that this supplement can be seen in long-term storage products, sausages and sausages, cheeses, yoghurts, kefir and milk, as well as some sweets.
If we talk about all the pros and cons of this food stabilizer, we can come to a single conclusion: the harm of E 452 significantly exceeds the benefit. In the course of numerous studies, it was found that this substance is dangerous to humans and its use in food threatens negative health effects.