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Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) is a versatile chemical used in cleaning products, food preservation, paints, ceramics, and toothpaste. It is generally regarded as safe and commonly used in detergents to soften hard water and prevent dirt from sticking. STPP is also used to preserve red meats, poultry, seafood, and beverages. However, it can make seafood heavier and more expensive, leading to concerns about unscrupulous sellers. While generally safe, large quantities of STPP can be toxic.
Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) is a chemical that has many uses in industry, ranging from an ingredient in cleaning products to a food preservative. Also known by alternative names such as pentasodium salt or triphosphoric acid, the substance falls under the Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) classification, meaning that past use of the chemical has not presented any health risks. It can also be found in some paints and ceramic products, among other uses.
Chemistry
Structurally, STPP is composed of five sodium atoms, three phosphorus atoms, and ten oxygen atoms stuck together. It is commonly made by mixing monosodium phosphate and disodium phosphate to produce a white crystalline powder that has no odor and dissolves easily in water. These useful features make it suitable for various uses.
Cleaning power
One of the common uses of STPP is as an ingredient in detergents and soaps. Most gel, liquid, tablet, and powder laundry and dishwasher detergents contain it. Its key function is to allow surfactants, which are molecules that help dissolve surface dirt, to work to their full potential. The chemical can also soften hard water to make foaming and cleaning easier, and helps prevent dirt from sticking to the surfaces of the item being cleaned. Many general household cleaning products, including surface and toilet cleaners, contain STPP.
Food applications
Sodium tripolyphosphate is also used to preserve foods such as red meats, poultry and seafood, helping them retain their tenderness and moisture during storage and transportation. Pet food and animal feed can also be treated with it, serving the same general purpose as human food. STPP has also been used to help preserve the quality of beverages such as milk and fruit juices.
Because sodium tripolyphosphate can improve the appearance of seafood such as shrimp and scallops, there is some concern that unscrupulous sellers may be selling products that aren’t fresh to consumers who can’t see signs that the items have started to go bad. to bad. While it can’t be used specifically for this purpose, this chemical also retains water, making seafood heavier and therefore more expensive. Some food quality experts recommend asking a fishmonger or other vendor for seafood that hasn’t been treated with this chemical. Some stores will mark products that have not been exposed to STPP as “dry.”
other uses
The chemical characteristics of STPP are used in paints to keep pigments evenly dispersed and in ceramics to distribute clay evenly. Paper mills use it as an oil resistant agent when varnishing paper and it can also be used as a leather tanning agent. Due to its cleansing action, it can also be an ingredient in toothpaste.
Security profile
Although sodium tripolyphosphate is generally considered safe, in very large quantities (such as ingesting large amounts of the pure chemical), it can be toxic. Chemical manufacturers produce industrial and food grade sodium tripolyphosphate for the market; the food grade contains the least amount of impurities. There is some public concern about the presence of artificial preservatives such as STPP in foods, but most current research suggests they do not appear to cause health problems at the amounts normally ingested.
