Origin
Ammoinium phosphatides are synthesized in a chemical process by reacting edible fats, e.g., rapeseed oil with phosphorus oxides and gaseous ammonia.
Usage
The food additive E 442 may only be used for cocoa and chocolate products. The emulsifier from ammonium phosphatides has among other things the property to improve the flowability of chocolate, i.e., the filling into bar forms is significantly improved by adding E 442. Moreover, by adding it to coating, the proportion of chocolate can be reduced because it allows the production of very thin-flowing coating.
Risks
The maximum amount of E 442 that may be added to products is 10g per kilogram. The recommended daily dose (Acceptable Daily Intake = ADI value) is at 30 mg per kilogram body weight. The emulsifier E 442 is considered harmless. Ammoinium phosphatides are broken down in the human organism like fatty acids from food.