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E341Emulsifier · Humectant · Sequestrant · Stabiliser · Thickener

Calcium phosphates

What the research shows

No concerns

none of the findings here link it to harm

Used in food as an emulsifier, humectant, sequestrant, stabiliser or thickener.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • EU permitted

What research says

Studies in people

  • Benefit

    Tooth mineral levels1

    Chewing gum with calcium phosphates raised calcium and phosphate in saliva, which may help tooth mineral.

  • Benefit

    Blood cholesterol levels2

    In people, eating bread with added calcium phosphates for four weeks lowered blood cholesterol slightly.

Study type not stated

How it’s made and used

  • Blood calcium levels3

    In 10 men, calcium phosphates in bread raised blood calcium after four hours but did not raise phosphate.

  • Bone growth and strength4

    Calcium phosphates dissolve in the stomach into calcium and phosphate, the same building blocks found in milk.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.

What expert reviews concluded

Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.

Regulatory status

Checked Sep 2026

Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating. A country appears here once we've found this ingredient on its official list.

How we check

Products

The 6 most-scanned of 25,924 products on Open Food Facts that list calcium phosphates.

  • Alpro Mandeldrink, Original 1L Alpro · 1 l 2 additives
  • Alpro smooth subtle creamy oat alpro · 1 l 2 additives
  • Rich and indulgent Hazelnut alpro · 1 l 2 additives
  • Coco Sans Sucres alpro · 1 l 3 additives
  • the ORIGINAL CRACKER RITZ BAKERY · 150 g 3 additives
  • Greek Style Flatbreads Deli Kitchen · 320 g 7 additives

References

  1. 1Chow LC, Takagi S, Shern RJ, Chow TH, Takagi KK, Sieck BA. Effects on whole saliva of chewing gums containing calcium phosphates. J Dent Res. 1994;73(1):26-32. doi:10.1177/00220345940730010401
  2. 2Ditscheid B, Keller S, Jahreis G. Cholesterol metabolism is affected by calcium phosphate supplementation in humans. J Nutr. 2005;135(7):1678-82. doi:10.1093/jn/135.7.1678
  3. 3Trautvetter U, Kiehntopf M, Jahreis G. Postprandial effects of calcium phosphate supplementation on plasma concentration-double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over human study. Nutr J. 2013;12:30. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-12-30
  4. 4Enax J, Meyer F, Schulze Zur Wiesche E, Epple M. On the Application of Calcium Phosphate Micro- and Nanoparticles as Food Additive. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2022;12(22). doi:10.3390/nano12224075
  5. 5Shiizaki K, Tsubouchi A, Miura Y, et al. Calcium phosphate microcrystals in the renal tubular fluid accelerate chronic kidney disease progression. J Clin Invest. 2021;131(16). doi:10.1172/JCI145693