Tricalcium Phosphate is used as an anti-caking agent in many food manufacturing processes, such as salt substitutes, pet foods, powdered icings, sugars, flour, spice blends, hygroscopic food products, etc.
Fortification
Used as a fortification ingredient in many varieties of food enrichment; such as ice cream, yogurt, curries, seasonings, fruit drinks, noodles, chocolate, milk, bread, etc.
Creamy Consistency
Used in the frozen food industry in products containing cream cheese; with an addition of Tricalcium Phosphate once the cream cheese is thawed, the cream cheese does not break down as it would otherwise, thus retaining a creamy consistency. TCP is also used in the yogurt industry to maintain a smooth consistency.
Calcium Enrichment
Tricalcium Phosphate has been a traditional choice for calcium enrichment in the orange juice industry. It has also been found to reduce the survival rate of salmonella.
Moisture Retention
Phosphate anions act help retain moisture in materials by increasing the total concentrations of electrolytes. The concentration of electrolytes in solution is referred to as the Ionic strength. The increase in water retention will be the result of water directly binding to the phosphates coupled with the repulsion of certain protein groups. The repulsive effect allows for two main advantages:
Opening space in the proteins for more water.
Prevention of coagulation in some proteins.
In addition to these advantages, solutions with high ionic strengths will be less susceptible to pH changes as well as other benefits.
Maximize Absorption
An effective ingredient used to add calcium enrichment without adding saturated fat. Tricalcium Phosphate also helps to maximize calcium absorption in the body.
