What Is Trisodium Phosphate in Cereal?
Are you worried about the cereal that you eat every morning may contain harmful substances like paint thinner? Your suspicion is correct. Cereal that we purchase from the supermarket does contain an inorganic compound known as Trisodium phosphate (TSP). But Trisodium phosphate (TSP) is not just present in cereal, it is one of the key ingredients in all sorts of processed foods. It’s added to processed meats, canned Tuna, processed cheese, canned soups, cakes, and other baked products. Trisodium phosphate (TSP) is a white and grainy powder that is highly soluble in water. The moment you add this chemical compound to water it forms an alkaline solution. This is why it is used in cereal–it acts as an acidity regulator and subdues the acidic nature of ingredients used in the preparation of cereal. Freshly cooked cereal is hard and has some astringency to it. The above-mentioned property of Trisodium phosphate (TSP) also changes the natural color of cereal (which is dusty brown) and makes it appear golden yellow. Moreover, it also makes cereal a bit more crunchy–which is preferred by most of the customers of major cereal manufactures and the crunchiness also helps the cereal move swiftly through the extruder […]
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