What is Sodium Polyphosphate?

Sodium Polyphosphate, also referred to as Polyphosphate Sodium, is one of the permissible additives widely used in the food industry. This substance, with the chemical formula (NaPO3n), is considered one of the most consumed food additives extensively used to improve the quality of various food products such as meat products, seafood, baked goods, dairy products, and beverages.

What is Phosphate?

Phosphate is essentially the salt of phosphoric acid (Na+) and when several simple phosphate units (PO43-) are chemically combined, they form more complex units known as polyphosphates.

The phosphates used in food products include:

Sodium Pyrophosphate TSPP: Occurs when the compound consists of two phosphate units.

Sodium Tripolyphosphate STPP: Formed with the presence of three phosphate units in the compound.

Sodium Polyphosphate SPP: Arises when there are more phosphate units in the compound.

The Difference Between Sodium Polyphosphate and Sodium Tripolyphosphate

These two substances differ both in terms of the formulations and compounds used in them and in terms of their applications. The combination of three phosphate units with sodium salt creates a product named Sodium Tripolyphosphate, but if more than three phosphate units are present in the compound, a product named Sodium Polyphosphate is produced.

Moreover, Sodium Polyphosphate (Sodium PolyPhosphate) due to its complex formula is only produced by a few countries in the world, and in Iran, only by Ghazal Najm company, whereas Sodium Tripolyphosphate is widely produced in various factories and offered in the market.

Types of Edible Sodium Polyphosphate

Ghazal Najm Company, as the first and only producer of Sodium Polyphosphate in Iran and the Middle East, has designed and produced various types of polyphosphate salt according to customer needs. The main products of this company used in the food industry include:

Sodium Polyphosphate for meat products (Cutter)

Sodium Polyphosphate for meat processing (Tumbler)

Sodium Polyphosphate for dairy product processing

Sodium Polyphosphate for seafood processing

We will further mention the application of each of the above items.

Uses of Sodium Polyphosphate

Sodium and potassium salts such as Sodium Polyphosphate are used in the preparation of some meat products and also in dairy production. Sodium Polyphosphate for food is used as an emulsifier, stabilizer, suspender, moisture and fat binder, solubility enhancer, metal ion sequestrant, and buffer in food products. It is also used as an additive in the meat and dairy industries and in the production and packaging of seafood and meat products.

The main applications of this product in the food industry include:

Preservation of meat products such as chicken, poultry, bacon, sausage, and salami

Preservation of seafood such as fish, shellfish, and shrimp

Preservation of beverages such as carbonated drinks, fruit juices, energy drinks, smoothies

Preservation of dairy products like cream, milk, and cheese

As yeast and baking powder in bread, cakes, and cookies

We will further acquaint you with the uses of this product.

Applications of Sodium Polyphosphate in the Food Industry

One of the most important applications of phosphate in the food industry is its use in meat products to stabilize meat quality. An approved and suitable additive should be health-friendly and enhance the product quality. Phosphate additives have these characteristics and are used worldwide for the production of meat products. Adding phosphate in the production process of meat products stabilizes the color, acidity level, increases elasticity, prevents bacterial growth, and improves the appropriate taste and smell of meat. We will explain some of the uses of this product further.

For preserving the moisture of food products

In the food industry, preserving moisture is very important. Losing the moisture of food products is economically damaging and also affects the taste. Determining the water-holding capacity in meat products and the ability of meat to retain water during the production process, including cutting, heating, grinding, or pressing, is very important. Sodium Polyphosphate as an additive can preserve the moisture of meat products during the cutting and packaging process. Also, using this substance in the production stages of sausage and salami helps maintain the desired moisture during cooking. In fact, due to its emulsifying properties, it causes these products to lose less water and fat when heated.

As a flavor enhancer for food products

Polyphosphates prevent the spoilage and oxidation of fats. Because if fats oxidize, the taste of processed meats weakens. This substance also prevents microbiological spoilage in processed meats and ultimately increases the shelf life of food products and stabilizes their quality over a long period. Sodium Polyphosphate for food is used in packaging various fish and shrimp to preserve taste and freshness, and prevent spoilage. The phosphate salts used to preserve and improve the taste of meat products, including beef, poultry, and seafood (fish and shrimp), are very diverse.

Ghazal Najm Company, as one of the additive manufacturers, designs and produces various formulated phosphate salts based on customer needs.

For stabilizing the color of food products

Two pigments, myoglobin and hemoglobin, which are iron-carrying proteins, are influential factors in meat color. Myoglobin has the ability to absorb oxygen and appears as a bright red pigment on the cut surface of meat. When exposed to air, it oxidizes and turns into a brown pigment known as metmyoglobin. Using polyphosphates to maintain pH prevents the oxidation process, thus the red color of the meat remains stable, and regarding processed meats, phosphates help in the advancement of color processing.

For increasing the tenderness of food products

Tenderizing meat using chemicals is referred to as tenderness. Phosphate additives, by affecting the stringy proteins of meat texture (actin and myosin), make the meat tenderer and easier to cut. Also, using phosphates in the production of products such as sausage and salami causes more fat and moisture to be absorbed into the product, resulting in the tenderness of the product.

As a binder

Using phosphates causes the dissolution of excess myosin and thus acts as a binding gel. After cooking, processed meat can be cut into large pieces without losing its shape. This property is very important for processing meat products such as sausage, salami, and other types of salami.

As a surfactant

Another application of sodium phosphates (SPP) is reducing the surface tension of processed foods. Common examples are whipped cream and cheese.

Application of phosphates in meat products

Phosphates have a wide range of applications in meat products. These salts are composed of positively charged metal ions and negatively charged phosphate ions. For example, Sodium Polyphosphate dissolves into Na and PO. These compounds are used in marinating solutions and in the composition of processed meats. The reason is the very beneficial effects they create in these products.

Permissible additives in meat products

In general, substances used during the production process of food products are called additives. Additives help preserve and improve characteristics such as taste, flavor, color, texture, firmness, and shelf life of food products. Three important features that additives used in meat products must have include:

Be essential for preserving and enhancing the quality of the product.

Not endanger human health.

Not mislead the consumer.

Therefore, nowadays, most countries are always trying to limit the number of permissible additives used in meat products. Processed meats can be produced without phosphates, but the benefits of using phosphates are such that they are considered an important additive in this category of products.

Phosphates play several roles in meat products:

These compounds prevent the connection between actin and myosin that occurs during rigor mortis. Also, by weakening electrostatic forces, actomyosin is separated into individual actin and myosin fibers, thereby increasing the solubility of muscle proteins. Phosphates, due to their negative charge, attach to positive ions of calcium and magnesium, which play a significant role in muscle contraction and relaxation.

By simultaneously adding salt and phosphate to meat products, muscle proteins become soluble and activated. These proteins can immobilize a large amount of water and incorporate a lot of fat into the emulsion.

Most phosphates used in meat products are alkaline and cause an increase in pH. This way, by moving away from the isoelectric point, they increase the water-holding capacity of the protein. At higher pHs, electrostatic repulsion increases the distance between actin and myosin, and more water will be placed in this space.

Phosphates somewhat reduce bacterial growth. However, since observing such an effect requires using large amounts of it, phosphates cannot be considered to play a significant role in this regard.

These compounds can chelate metal ions and delay the process of rancidity.

Phosphates can also affect the color of the product. In processed meats, with the increase in pH caused by the presence of phosphates, the time required to produce sufficient amounts of nitric oxide increases, and thus the final color will be appropriately formed.

Application of Sodium Polyphosphate in Seafood Processing

Sodium Polyphosphate (SPP) is one of the most widely used phosphate compounds for preserving frozen and seafood products. Usually, the freezing process is used to preserve seafood. Freezing affects the muscular tissue of fish. When defrosted, blood leaks from the tissue, resulting in the tissue becoming stiff and dry. To prevent the drying of fish tissue and maintain the moisture within it, as well as to preserve the fresh characteristics of fish, additives are used. Nowadays, the use of Sodium Polyphosphate in seafood to preserve and improve the quality of fillets has become common in many countries.

Freezing fish reduces fluid and exudation during defrosting. Naturally, when defrosting frozen fish, some fluid is released from their bodies. The amount of these interstitial secretions, known as Drip, especially from the cut surface of the fillet, is very significant. Especially in the case of products whose main operations of freezing and storage have not been properly performed. This amount, in some species, including flatfish and in some seasons of the year, is such that it may render the product inedible.

Sodium Polyphosphate is capable of improving the water-holding capacity of fish after freezing. However, in this case, fluid still exits the muscle cell but remains within the tissue. This operation ultimately prevents weight loss of the product.

The use of Sodium Polyphosphate in seafood is such that the prepared solution is made, and the ready fillets are dipped into it. Typically, this method results in an increase in the weight of the fillets by about 10% of the initial weight. It is worth mentioning that adding it not only has no adverse effects but also helps to retain water and reduce undesirable changes in color and taste due to pressure during storage.

Permissible Consumption Level of Sodium Polyphosphate

The maximum allowed amount for the use of phosphates in meat products is 5 percent of the product's weight. Most manufacturers of meat products use 0.3 to 0.4 percent phosphate in their product.

Production Method of Edible Sodium Polyphosphate

Edible Sodium Polyphosphate is a special compound. This substance has a unique and exclusive formula that only a few countries like Germany, China, and the USA had access to. However, Ghazal Najm Company, with the effort and expertise of its professionals, has managed to access this formula and has been producing this product in recent years, meeting the needs of related industries. All products of this factory have various certificates and approvals from the Food and Drug Administration and the Ministry of Industry. In terms of quality, Ghazal Najm's products are on par with German products and even better than Chinese samples available in the market.

What is Sodium Polyphosphate?

Be careful of the underlay carpet.

Benefits of eating chocolate and its effects on the brain.

Air Filters

Saving water and electricity by using cellulose pad