Phosphate in food is ‘health risk’ that should be labelled, claim researchers

Food products with high phosphate contents are damaging to the health of the general public, and as such should be labelled, say researchers behind a new study.

The report – published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International – selectively reviewed research documenting the links between excessive phosphate and elevated risks of ill health and mortality – calling for a ‘traffic-light’ labelling system to be introduced for foods containing phosphate additives.

The researchers, led by Professor Eberhard Ritz of Nierenzentrum Heidelberg, Germany, reported that elevated serum phosphate concentrations have been found to be correlated with mortality in people with chronic renal failure, while high levels of phosphates in healthy people have been correlated with cardiovascular disease.

Ritz and his colleagues said they believe that “the public should be informed that added phosphate is damaging to health.”