E541 (Sodium aluminium phosphate acidic) is a chemical compound comprising two chemical compounds.

It appears as an odourless white powder insoluble in water and soluble in hydrochloric acid.

What it is used for and where

Food

An ingredient listed in the European food additives list as E541 with the function of a pH adjuster in the leavening agent.

It comprises two chemical compounds:

• sodium trialuminium tetradecahydrogen octaphosphate tetrahydrate  NaAl₃H₁₄(PO₄)₈∙4H₂O   949.88 g/mol
• trisodium dialuminium pentadecahydrogen octaphosphate    Na₃Al₂H₁₅(PO₄)₈    897.82 g/mol

Safety

EFSA's Scientific Panel on Food Additives provided a scientific opinion reviewing the safety of aluminium sulphates (E520-523) and sodium aluminium phosphate, acid (E541) as food additives and concluded that there is no concern regarding genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. The Panel concluded that aluminium sulphates (E520-523) and sodium aluminium phosphate, acid (E541) are of no safety concern in current authorised uses and use levels (1).

However, the risk of cumulative intake of aluminium, which may pose a danger to human health, cannot be excluded as this ingredient can be found in widely consumed food products such as bread, various bakery products (2).

• Formula molecolare     Al₃H₂₂NaO₃₆P₈
• Peso molecolare      949.88
• CAS   10305-76-7   7785-88-8
• UNII    7N091Y877O
• EC Number   232-090-4

Bibliografia_____________________________________________________________________

(1) EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS); Younes M, Aggett P, Aguilar F, Crebelli R, Dusemund B, Filipič M, Frutos MJ, Galtier P, Gott D, Gundert-Remy U, Kuhnle GG, Lambré C, Leblanc JC, Lillegaard IT, Moldeus P, Mortensen A, Oskarsson A, Stankovic I, Waalkens-Berendsen I, Wright M, Di Domenico A, van Loveren H, Giarola A, Horvath Z, Lodi F, Tard A, Woutersen RA. Re-evaluation of aluminium sulphates (E 520-523) and sodium aluminium phosphate (E 541) as food additives. EFSA J. 2018 Jul 27;16(7):e05372. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5372. 

(2) Wong, W.W., Chung, S.W., Kwong, K.P., Yin Ho, Y. and Xiao, Y., 2010. Dietary exposure to aluminium of the Hong Kong population. Food Additives and Contaminants, 27(4), pp.457-463.