You are likely to have consumed large quantities of phosphoric acid in a lifetime. Phosphoric acid is currently a commonly used chemical. How big is that? Well, almost every bottle or can of soda that a person has ever touched had a lot of stuff in it. Its usage is widespread in industrial areas where it is used as a preservative.

The purpose of this article is to address what phosphoric acid is capable of and whether or not one should be concerned about its intake.

What Can it Do?

First of all, a person should never have any reason to want phosphoric acid. It is a commodity used in the manufacturing, medical, and agricultural sectors and has no personal benefit. In other terms, no one will want to drink or apply phosphoric acid directly to their skin. 

Usually, the intake of small quantities over individual sittings would not affect an individual over their lifetime. It may be prudent to try to get away from all the soda choices that are available today. Some studies have shown that phosphoric acid can reduce one bone’s strength, but another study that a soda company performed has shown that it improves one bone’s strength.

Soft Drinks

Soft drinks are the most commonly used source of phosphoric acid 85. Phosphoric acid is responsible for the distinctive biting flavour of the colas. Clear soda contains citric acid instead of phosphoric acid found in the colas. In addition to beverages, many sports drinks, packaged teas, punches, and fruit-flavoured drinks include phosphoric acid. 

Dairy Products:

Phosphoric acid salts are used in many dairy products to change proteins and to adjust the pH to create a higher-quality product—the addition of phosphates derived from phosphoric acid 85 to cheese results in smooth, stable products. Phosphoric acid can also be found in milk, heavy cream, Greek yogurt, and non-dairy creamers. 

Baking Soda

Phosphoric acid salts are mixed with baking soda to create a baking powder, a leavening agent used in many baked goods. Baked goods leavened with baking powder instead of yeast are likely to contain phosphates; these will be included in the ingredients’ food package list.

Processed Food

Other processed foods containing phosphoric acid include breakfast or cereal bars, flavoured waters, filtered coffee beverages, and processed meat. Much fresh meat and poultry products are fortified with salt solutions to improve their moisture and flavour. They also contain phosphoric acid or phosphate salts. Read the list of food package ingredients and consult phosphoric acid manufacturers for the classification of phosphorus-containing food additives such as dicalcium phosphate, hexametaphosphate, sodium phosphate, and tricalcium phosphate.

Overall, phosphoric acid can be highly helpful when used in industrial applications. However, it is usually risky to use it on a personal basis. So if a person has been able to get hold of some unrefined phosphoric acid, it is better to discuss using it with a specialist before that because of some harm that may be irreparable to their person or property.