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What are perceptions of these ingredients use in food: disodium phosphate dihydrate, Tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and transglutaminase?
Hello! Thanks for your question about the perceptions of the food additives disodium phosphate dihydrate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate and transglutaminase.
The most useful sources I found to answer your question are Livestrong.com and FactsAboutBeef.com. The short version is that transglutaminate has the worst reputation of all three additives due to numerous reports of pink slime. Disodium phosphate dihydrate and tetrasodium pyrophosphate, while also seen in a negative light, do not have as much publicity and are therefore more accepted. Below, please find a deep dive into my findings, which focuses on how these additives are used, the recognized safety concerns associated and the consumer perception.
To understand public perception about these food additives, I first had to look at what they are. Subsequently, I broke each section into their uses and where were they being used.
TRANSGLUTAMINASE
Transglutaminate is an enzyme commonly called meat glue, pink slime, or TGase which binds proteins together. This ability makes it a frequently used additive for foods such as meatballs, sausage, cheese, and seafood recipes. Meat glue is used either as a powder or mixed with water to make a slurry. The best uses for transgutaminase are for forming meat together to make uniform pieces and improving textures. It is often added to yogurt to make it more creamy. It can also be added to cheese to increase the yield. Chefs are using the enzyme in order to make all-meat noodles, better dumplings, and more evenly cut pieces of meat.
ISSUES AND SAFETY
One of the issues that I came across for transglutaminase is that it may not be kosher since transglutaminase can be made from cows, pigs, fungi, or plants and labels are not required to highlight where they come from. It was reported that making it from animals was more difficult and therefore more costly, leading me to conclude that a plant or fungi based meat glue may be more often used. Transglutaminase is considered safe and occurs naturally in the human body. When the enzyme is used in products such as chicken nuggets, the packaging label will describe transglutaminase as "formed or pressed."
PERCEPTION
Public perception of meat glue is generally negative, although most people are unaware that it is used in their food. Being labelled pink slime fosters in the mind a negative connotation of transglutaminase. News reports about pink slime have turned the public against meat glue. Yet, when small restaurants use it, they are praised for their innovation, which highlights the contradictory nature of public perception.
DISODIUM PHOSPHATE DIHYDRATE
Disodium phosphate is a food additive approved by the FDA.
According to Livestrong, "it can help regulate the acidity of food, thicken it, stabilize it and maintain it at the proper moisture level. Disodium phosphate also helps keep oil-based and water-based ingredients, which would otherwise separate, mixed together." Disodium phosphates are healthy for the liver.
ISSUES AND SAFETY
This food additive is also an ingredient used in fire retardants and water treatments. Disodium Phosphate dihydrate has also been linked to illnesses such as "upset stomach, constipation or diarrhea." Moreover, it can raise phosphorus levels in the body, which can be dangerous for people with medical conditions.
PERCEPTION
Unlike the numerous negative articles on pink slime, there were not as many negative articles for disodium phosphate dihydrate. One article, from Livestrong, did argue against using it because of the potential for gastrointestinal issues, organ damage, and possible long term effects.
TETRASODIUM PYROSPHOSPHATE
Tetrasodium pyrophosphate is a chemical compound that comes as a white powder. It is used to change the acidity of foods, as a binding agent, and as a dough conditioner. It can be found added to foods such as instant pudding, imitation crab, soy based faux meats, and chicken nuggets. It is also used in many non-food items like laundry detergent, tooth paste, and cleaners.
ISSUES AND SAFETY
It is an FDA approved additive and used in many countries. However, in high doses it can negatively affect the health, leading to kidney damage. Additionally, because it is an alkaline, too much of it can change a body's pH balance.
PERCEPTION
There are a few articles on the effects of tetrasodium pyrosphosphate, but the ones that exist mostly address the health issues that arise when using extreme amounts of the additive. There has been no major public outcry associated with tetrasodium pyrosphosphate, as has been observed with pink slime. Nevertheless, the consumer opinions that I did find, were of a negative nature.
CONCLUSION
To wrap it up, the public consumer perception of the food additives disodium phosphate dihydrate, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, and transglutaminase is generally negative. Transglutaminase suffers the worst reputation, with the public perception influenced by the enzyme being labelled pink slime in news articles. The perception of disodium phosphate dihydrate centers around safety concerns that the additive provokes gastrointestinal issues, or even organ damage. While tetrasodium pyrophosphate enjoys the least negative exposure, there exists concerns that this chemical compound could lead to health issues through excessive consumption.
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