Bone phosphate
Calcium phosphate powder ground from animal bones, used to stop powdered foods clumping. Not suitable for vegans, vegetarians, or some religious diets.
Made from animal bones, so unsuitable for vegans, vegetarians, and many people with religious dietary restrictions. As a phosphate additive, it also contributes to total daily phosphate intake, which EFSA flagged as potentially exceeding safe levels across the population.
What is it?
Bone phosphate is a white powder made by treating animal bones, typically from cattle or pigs, with heat and chemical processing to extract calcium phosphate. The result is an edible mineral salt composed mainly of tricalcium phosphate derived from animal skeletal material.
What does it do?
Acts as an anti-caking agent: the fine powder particles absorb moisture and prevent other powdered food ingredients from clumping together into lumps. It also functions as an emulsifying salt and mineral supplement, adding calcium to the final product.
Where you will see it
Most commonly found in powdered dairy products, powdered sugar, icing sugar, powdered seasonings, bone meal-based supplements, and some processed meat products. On a UK label it appears as 'bone phosphate' or 'E542'.
What the science says
Animal origin and dietary restrictions
E542 is extracted from animal bones, making it unsuitable for vegan and vegetarian diets, and potentially problematic for people following halal or kosher diets unless the source animal and slaughter method are certified. The label 'bone phosphate' or 'E542' does not disclose the animal species. People with these dietary requirements need to contact the manufacturer to confirm the source.
E542 is derived from animal bones (typically bovine or porcine) and is not considered vegan or vegetarian by major UK certifying bodies including the Vegan Society and Vegetarian Society.
Phosphate intake across the population
E542 contributes to a person's total dietary phosphate intake. In 2019, EFSA re-evaluated phosphate food additives as a group and set a new group acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 40 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, expressed as phosphorus. EFSA found that high consumers in some population groups may already be exceeding this level when naturally occurring phosphate in food plus additive phosphate are counted together. High long-term phosphate intake has been linked in observational studies to cardiovascular strain and impaired kidney function, particularly in people with existing kidney disease.
EFSA re-evaluated phosphoric acid and phosphate additives (E338-341, E343, E450-452) and set a group ADI of 40 mg phosphorus per kilogram of body weight per day. High consumers in certain population groups were found to potentially exceed this level.
Elevated dietary phosphate intake has been associated in observational studies with increased cardiovascular mortality and accelerated kidney function decline, particularly in individuals with chronic kidney disease.
BSE-era restrictions and current source controls
During the BSE (mad cow disease) crisis in the 1990s, products derived from cattle bones, including bone phosphate, faced scrutiny and restrictions in the EU due to concerns about prion contamination. Current EU and UK rules specify that E542 must be sourced from bones that meet specified risk material (SRM) controls, meaning certain high-risk parts of the animal are excluded from the production chain.
EU regulations on specified risk materials (SRM) apply to bone-derived food additives including E542, requiring that source material comes from animals and carcass parts not classified as SRM. These controls were introduced following the BSE epidemic.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
Vegans and vegetarians should avoid it entirely. People following halal or kosher diets should check with the manufacturer for certified sourcing. People with chronic kidney disease or phosphate-restricted diets should discuss all phosphate additive intake with their clinician. Look for 'bone phosphate' or 'E542' on the ingredients list.
The honest read
E542 is one of the less common food additives, appearing mainly in powdered products. Its most straightforward issue is that it comes from animal bones, which many people would want to know. The phosphate intake question is a real one, but the contribution from E542 specifically in typical food use is likely small relative to naturally occurring phosphate in the diet. The BSE controls now in place mean the prion risk that concerned regulators in the 1990s is managed through source restrictions, though those restrictions are not visible to a shopper reading a label. The science on dietary phosphate and cardiovascular health is based on observational data and does not establish a direct causal link from additive use at permitted levels. People with kidney disease have a specific clinical reason to track all phosphate sources.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E542 banned in the UK?
No. E542 is a permitted food additive in the UK and EU, approved for use mainly as an anti-caking agent in powdered foods. Source material is subject to TSE and specified risk material controls introduced after the BSE epidemic.
Is E542 safe for people with kidney disease?
People with chronic kidney disease are typically advised to limit total phosphate intake from all sources, including food additives. E542 adds to that total. Anyone on a phosphate-restricted diet should discuss all additive phosphate sources with their clinician. This is a question for a doctor or dietitian, not a food label.
What foods contain E542?
E542 appears mainly in powdered and finely milled foods, including icing sugar, powdered dairy products, powdered seasonings, and some mineral or dietary supplements. It is not common in everyday packaged foods and tends to appear in bulk or food-service ingredients. Check for 'bone phosphate' or 'E542' on the label.
Is E542 vegan?
No. E542 is extracted from animal bones, most commonly from cattle or pigs. It is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians. Halal or kosher suitability depends on the species of animal and the method of slaughter, so certification from the manufacturer is needed.
Sources
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF): Re-evaluation of phosphoric acid and phosphates (E338-341, E343, E450-452) as food additives, EFSA Journal 2019
- UK FSA: Approved additives and E numbers
- EU Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives (Annex II)
- EU Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 on TSE prevention and controls (specified risk materials)
- EFSA press release: EFSA issues new advice on phosphates, June 2019
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