Distarch phosphate is an anionic polysaccharide, a cross-linked esterified starch modified with phosphorus oxychloride or sodium trimetaphosphate in an aqueous slurry. The residual phosphate content is limited by European Commission Regulation No. 231/2012 to 0.5% for wheat and potato starches and 0.4% for starches from other sources (e.g. tapioca starch or xanthan gum).

It appears in the form of a white powder. 

What it is used for and where

Food

Starch phosphate is included in the list of European food additives under the number E1412 as a stabiliser against retrogradation and gelling, is a thickener, and is resistant to syneresis during preservation and storage.

Applications:

• Dressings: broth, broth powder, tomato sauces, mayonnaise.
• Meat: sausages, hams, 
• Fish: prawns, crabs, fish, tofu
• Bakery products: cakes.
• Canned foods: beans, corn vegetables, fish etc,

It is widely used in bakery products, meat for certain characteristics: elasticity, brittleness, water retention, resistant to cutting, swells easily, resists high temperatures where it maintains a high viscosity even in long cooking times. It also offers excellent freeze-thaw stability so it is suitable for products that need to be thawed. With regard to pH, Starch Phosphate above pH3 has good acid resistance, does not drain, does not reduce viscosity after long-term storage, and does not dilute.

Food safety

This study shows that Distarch phosphate incorporated in a biscuit can significantly reduce post-prandial glucose and insulin responses in healthy adults (1).

Cosmetics

Generally used as an anti-caking and binding agent and with these functions:

Absorbent. Absorbs substances dispersed or dissolved in aqueous solutions, water/oil, oil/water.

Anticaking agent. This compound facilitates free flow and prevents aggregation or clumping of substances in a formulation by reducing the tendency of certain particles to stick together.

Binder agent. Ingredient that is used in cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical products as an anti-caking agent with the function of making the product in which it is incorporated silky, compact and homogenous. The binder, either natural such as mucilage, gums and starches or chemical, may be in the form of a powder or liquid.

Cosmetic safety

EFSA's Scientific Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food considers that there is no safety concern for the use of modified starches as food additives at the uses and use levels declared for the general population and that there is no need for a numerical ADI (2).

The most relevant studies on this ingredient have been selected with a summary of their contents:

Distarch phosphate studies

• CAS   55963-33-2
• UNII  JFB4DJZ8BR (Corn)    NS7M4Z5MSU (Rice)
• MDL Number    MFCD00678097

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Stewart, M.L. and Zimmer, J.P., 2017. A high fiber cookie made with resistant starch type 4 reduces post-prandial glucose and insulin responses in healthy adults. Nutrients, 9(3), p.237.

Abstract. Distarch phosphate is a resistant starch type 4 (RS4) containing phosphodiester cross-links within and between starch molecules. This study examined the glycemic effects of VERSAFIBE 1490™ resistant starch, a distarch phosphate derived from potato, containing 90% total dietary fiber (TDF, AOAC 991.43 method). In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over study, 28 healthy adults consumed a cookie containing 24 g fiber from distarch phosphate (fiber cookie) or a control cookie containing 0.5 g fiber that was matched for fat, protein, and total carbohydrate content. Intravenous blood glucose, intravenous blood insulin, and capillary glucose were measured for two hours after cookie consumption. The fiber cookie reduced the post-prandial blood glucose incremental area under the curve from 0 to 120 minutes (iAUC0-120min) by 44% (p = 0.004) and reduced the maximum glucose concentration (Cmax0-120min) by 8% (p = 0.001) versus the control cookie. Consumption of the fiber cookie resulted in a significant 46% reduction of the post-prandial serum insulin iAUC0-120min (p < 0.001) and a 23% reduction in Cmax0-120min (p = 0.007) versus the control cookie. This study shows that distarch phosphate RS4 can be incorporated into a cookie and significantly reduce post-prandial glucose and insulin responses in healthy adults.

(2) EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS), Mortensen, A., Aguilar, F., Crebelli, R., Di Domenico, A., Dusemund, B., Frutos, M.J., Galtier, P., Gott, D., Gundert‐Remy, U. and Lambré, C., 2017. Re‐evaluation of oxidised starch (E 1404), monostarch phosphate (E 1410), distarch phosphate (E 1412), phosphated distarch phosphate (E 1413), acetylated distarch phosphate (E 1414), acetylated starch (E 1420), acetylated distarch adipate (E 1422), hydroxypropyl starch (E 1440), hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (E 1442), starch sodium octenyl succinate (E 1450), acetylated oxidised starch (E 1451) and starch aluminium octenyl succinate (E 1452) as food additives. EFSA Journal, 15(10), p.e04911.

Abstract. Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient sources added to Food (ANS) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of 12 modified starches (E 1404, E 1410, E 1412, E 1413, E 1414, E 1420, E 1422, E 1440, E 1442, E 1450, E 1451 and E 1452) authorised as food additives in the EU in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 and previously evaluated by JECFA and the SCF. Both committees allocated an acceptable daily intake (ADI) ‘not specified’. In humans, modified starches are not absorbed intact but significantly hydrolysed by intestinal enzymes and then fermented by the intestinal microbiota. Using the read-across approach, the Panel considered that adequate data on short- and long-term toxicity and carcinogenicity, and reproductive toxicity are available. Based on in silico analyses, modified starches are considered not to be of genotoxic concern. No treatment-related effects relevant for human risk assessment were observed in rats fed very high levels of modified starches (up to 31,000 mg/kg body weight (bw) per day). Modified starches (e.g. E 1450) were well tolerated in humans up to a single dose of 25,000 mg/person. Following the conceptual framework for the risk assessment of certain food additives, the Panel concluded that there is no safety concern for the use of modified starches as food additives at the reported uses and use levels for the general population and that there is no need for a numerical ADI. The combined exposure to E 1404–E 1451 at the 95th percentile of the refined (brand-loyal) exposure assessment scenario for the general population was up to 3,053 mg/kg bw per day. Exposure to E 1452 for food supplement consumers only at the 95th percentile was up to 22.1 mg/kg bw per day.