Food additive databasekansui, seasoning, emulsifierChecked 2026-10-02
Tripotassium Phosphate (Potassium Phosphate, Tribasic) リン酸三カリウム（別名第三リン酸カリウム）
Designated additivePermitted in the EU (E340(iii))EFSA ADI 40mg per kg body weight per day
- Purpose
- kansui, seasoning, emulsifier
- On the label
- “リン酸K” (potassium phosphate), “リン酸カリウム” (potassium phosphate), “リン酸塩（K）” (phosphates (K)), “かんすい” (kansui, alkaline agent for noodles), “調味料（無機塩）” (seasoning (inorganic salts))
- Name in the List of Designated Additives
- リン酸三カリウム（別名第三リン酸カリウム） (No. 463)
In Japan
- One of the phosphate salts (also known as “第三リン酸カリウム”, tribasic potassium phosphate). Under the Food Labeling Standards, it is among the additives that can be labeled with the respective group name when used as kansui in Chinese noodles, as a seasoning (inorganic salts), or as an emulsifier in processed cheese products.
- No standards for use (permitted foods and upper limits) have been set.
- When written by substance name, the simplified names “リン酸カリウム” and “リン酸K” can be used, but these simplified names are shared with other potassium salts such as dipotassium hydrogen phosphate.
Japan's standards for use
There are no standards for use that limit which foods or how much (the general standards for all additives still apply).
This is a summary of the standards for use. See the source list for the exact conditions.
In the EU
- It is on the EU list of food additives (Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, Annex II) as E340(iii).
- The EFSA group ADI for phosphates (40 mg per kg of body weight per day) is expressed as the amount converted to phosphorus.
- In its 2019 evaluation, EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) set an ADI (acceptable daily intake) of 40mg per kg of body weight per day (a group ADI, for the total of related substances) (EFSA FAF).
When it is labeled under a shared name
Tripotassium Phosphate (Potassium Phosphate, Tribasic) may be declared on the label in the same way as “リン酸塩”. See Phosphates for details.
Sources
- List of Designated Additives — Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (Japanese)
- Standards for use and storage of each additive — Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (Japanese)
- EU food additive database (Japanese translation) — MAFF (Japanese)
- Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives — EUR-Lex
- EFSA OpenFoodTox (chemical hazards database)
- 消費者庁「食品表示基準について」別添 添加物関係（簡略名・類別名一覧、用途名併記の例示、一括名の範囲、栄養強化の範囲ほか） (Japanese)
- EFSA FAF Panel (2019) Re-evaluation of phosphoric acid–phosphates – di-, tri- and polyphosphates (E 338–341, E 343, E 450–452) as food additives (Japanese)
Checked 2026-10-02. Rules and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.
This page lists facts stated in laws and in evaluations by public bodies; it is not a safety verdict. Additives used in Japan are approved by the government, which sets the foods and amounts they can be used in. The ADI is a guide to the amount that is considered safe to take every day over a lifetime.