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Sodium dihydropyrophosphate belongs to the category of inorganic compounds. Its molecular formula will not clarify much to consumers, but belonging to food additives will make many think about whether it is harmful.
Features and specifications
Instead of the long name listed on various food labels, customers will see E450i, which is the official short name for the supplement.
The physical characteristics of the agent are unremarkable, as it is a powder in the form of small colorless crystals. The substance is easily soluble in water, forming crystalline hydrates. Like most other chemical components, the emulsifier popular in Europe does not have a special smell. The powder easily comes into contact with various chemical constituents, while such compounds are characterized by increased strength.
Get E450i in the laboratory by exposing sodium carbonate to phosphoric acid. Further, the instruction provides for heating the resulting phosphate to a temperature of 220 degrees.
Sodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate, in contact with the skin, can cause a severe allergic reaction. But this applies only to a certain group of people who have highly sensitive skin, or do not follow the safety rules prescribed in the job description.
Symptoms in this scenario include manifestation over the next few days. The main signs cover the classic picture like swelling and itching. In some cases, the skin is covered with tiny blisters, inside which fluid forms.
These manifestations sometimes make themselves felt if a consumer with particularly sensitive skin uses cosmetic products that contain the specified substance.
Against this background, customers begin to think that when they use products containing the additive, they also put their health to an additional test. But technologists say that the dosage of E450i in food is much lower, which cannot cause a sharp deterioration in well-being, provided there is no individual intolerance or allergy.
Doctors also advise adhering to the maximum allowable daily dosage, which does not exceed 70 mg per kilogram. In order to protect potential eaters, food processing plants regularly conduct inspections. This allows you to establish whether manufacturers exceed the established standards.
Scope
Despite the fact that the practical use provides only a benefit for manufacturers, today it is difficult to find canned seafood that would not include such an ingredient. It is added there to control color retention during the sterilization process.
Also, the additive often becomes a component of some bakery products. There, its main task is the reaction with soda, since the element produces an acidic result, becoming a source of acid in sufficient quantity.
They do not do without dihydropyrophosphorate in the meat department of the industry, where it acts as a moisture holder in the finished product. Some enterprises even took note of its features as an integral part in the manufacture of semi-finished potato products. It protects the mass from browning, which is a side effect when starting the potato oxidation process.
In the course of numerous experiments, experts have come to the conclusion that in moderation, E450i does not pose a particular danger in food. Because of this, it is listed as an approved emulsifier in most European countries.