Why does my water have "Phosphoric Acid"?

I was reading the label on "Aquafine Flavor Splash" a naturally flavored water beverage, and in the ingredients there is Phosphoric acid. I was just wondering what it is and why is it in the water?

From wiki
Food-grade phosphoric acid (often labeled as E number E338.) is used to acidify foods and beverages such as various colas, but not without controversy regarding its health effects. It provides a tangy or sour taste and, being a mass-produced chemical, is available cheaply and in large quantities. The low cost and bulk availability is unlike more expensive natural seasonings that give comparable flavors, such as citric acid which is obtainable from lemons and limes. (However most citric acid in the food industry is not extracted from citrus fruit, but fermented by Aspergillus niger mold from scrap molasses, waste starch hydrolysates and phosphoric acid.)


I think that I might throw up.

oh yeah, this is the other use RUST REMOVAL

and a question? Why are you buying Flavoured Water? I dont get it.




[edit on 8-4-2009 by Le Colonel]

I can't see any good reason for it.

www.npi.gov.au...
That's a readup on the chemical.

It is used as an anti-oxidant in food, as a flavour additive for sharp taste in food (jellies, preserves) and soft drinks (e.g. Coca-Cola), as a tang (Food Additive 338) and for the manufacture of yeasts and gelatine.

What effect might Phosphoric acid have on my health?
Phosphoric acid can severely affect human health through the inhalation of mist, ingestion and contact with skin and eyes. Eye contact can cause redness, pain, tearing, eyelid spasms, blurred vision and permanent damage. Phosphoric acid can attack the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat and oesophagus, leading to immediate pain and difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia). Other symptoms of phosphoric acid poisoning include a sour acrid taste, coughing, difficult breathing,

To Le Colonel
Lol i personal didnt buy flavored water. my aunt did wen we went camping, and there wasnt any pepsi so i drank some. then i read the label cause i was bored. i dont drink water usually. im a Cola person.

thnx for both of ur inputs

Coke is the poorer of the two choices, friend, i used to drink it with my rum, not anymore, now it only serves as a household cleanser at my house, great for degreasing the bottom of cooking pots , cleaning toilets and such.
members.tripod.com...
after reading the label and doing a little research i refuse to put it in my body, in India farmers are using it as a cheap pesticide.

not coke, i hate coke. But pepsi-cola, not coka-cola. Yea i kno it is the worse of the 2 choices, but i think it taste better

seriously friend, it is a toxic brew bad for your body and pepsi is its equal in most ways, never mind the diet versions worse in many different ways. I encourage you to do a little research on the subject, it you thought the water was bad. read the pepsi label and look up the ingredients.

A cheap pesticide? Thats amazing...

Its like drinking poison. Why the hell is it in our food and water? hmm...

reply to post by AntiConspirator


Here's the reason according to Wiki Phosphoric Acid

Processed food use Food-grade phosphoric acid (often labeled as E number E338.) is used to acidify foods and beverages such as various colas, but not without controversy regarding its health effects. It provides a tangy or sour taste and, being a mass-produced chemical, is available cheaply and in large quantities. The low cost and bulk availability is unlike more expensive natural seasonings that give comparable flavors, such as citric acid which is obtainable from lemons and limes. (However most citric acid in the food industry is not extracted from citrus fruit, but fermented by Aspergillus niger mold from scrap molasses, waste starch hydrolysates and phosphoric acid.)

It is one of the most common drink additives. BTW it is not good for you, not good for the kidneys, probably causes all sorts of health problems like diabetes and cancer (which are ignored by everyone), it is in nearly all carbonated beverages, it contributes to grossly obese, ugly, disgusting people that you see in shopping centers everywhere, etc., etc. Drink up, have one on me and be happy!

Disclamer: Occasionally I exagerate a small amount.

reply to post by Vyrtigo


Vyrtigo, check coke as pesticide on you tube, also check out tap water on google you will be shocked at how much Pharmacutical residue is in municipal water supplies, then the treatment chemicals, Flouride is toxio too, why the H*ll is in toothpaste and our water supplies.

reply to post by Bamaisin


i actually did a post about flouride also.
heres the flouride thread i did

Phosphoric acid is not necessarily a bad thing. Although anything acidic is bad for tooth enamel. We need Phosphorus. Phosphoric acid is a good well absorbed form. The problem as with all minerals is to get the right balance. Minerals compete with and are antagonistic to each other. That means if you get too much of one, it will make you deficient in another. That's what makes it such a bitch. Too much phosphorus will make you deficient in calcium. It happened to me. My teeth lost calcium and you could see through the bottom of my front upper teeth. I had to stop drinking a particular energy drink.
The worst things in sodas are the impure water, chemicals absorbed from plastic, aluminum cans, sugar, and sodium benzoate, and artificial colors. You could make a healthy soda by using distilled water, naturals flavors, xylitol, and sold only in glass bottles.