E340 — Potassium phosphates
E340 (Potassium phosphates), a emulsifier, is rated "avoid": worth avoiding. An emulsifier and buffering agent in processed cheese, meat, and powdered drinks. Another added phosphate feeding a total intake that EFSA found already exceeds the safe daily limit for many children, and that strains kidneys and blood vessels.
What is Potassium phosphates?
The potassium salts of phosphoric acid. Used as a buffering agent and emulsifier in processed cheese, meats, electrolyte drinks, and some baked goods.
What does it do to the body?
Same phosphate-load concern as sodium phosphates: it absorbs readily, and high total intake is linked to kidney strain and to vascular calcification over years. People with reduced kidney function are the clearest at-risk group, and they must watch the potassium here as well as the phosphate. Healthy adults at typical intake are not the concern; heavy daily processed-food intake is.
What regulators say
Covered by EFSA's 2019 group acceptable daily intake of 40 mg of phosphorus per kg of body weight per day, which EFSA found is already exceeded by infants, toddlers and children at average consumption, and which explicitly does not cover people with moderate to severe reduced kidney function. It stays permitted in the EU, and the FDA treats it as GRAS.
Risk rating: Avoid
Known or suspected to cause harm: a substance EFSA or another regulator has flagged, or one restricted in some jurisdictions. Best kept out of a regular diet.
Source: EFSA — re-evaluation of phosphoric acid and phosphates, E 338–341, E 343, E 450–452 (2019) ↗