INS 450 is the family of diphosphates, also called pyrophosphates. On Indian packs they show up most often in processed cheese slices (as the emulsifying salt that keeps the melted cheese smooth rather than oiling out), in baking powder (the SAPP 450(i) form is the acid half of one of the two most common double-acting baking powder formulations), in processed meat like chicken sausage and frankfurter for water retention, and in instant pudding and dessert mixes for gel-set behaviour. It is generally vegan and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories.
INS 450 is the family of diphosphates, also called pyrophosphates. On Indian packs they show up most often in processed cheese slices (as the emulsifying salt that keeps the melted cheese smooth rather than oiling out), in baking powder (the SAPP 450(i) form is the acid half of one of the two most common double-acting baking powder formulations), in processed meat like chicken sausage and frankfurter for water retention, and in instant pudding and dessert mixes for gel-set behaviour.
Diphosphates are the workhorse emulsifying-salt class for processed cheese; brands use them because they break the calcium-protein bonds that otherwise make heated cheese grainy, which lets the cheese slice melt cleanly rather than oiling out. In baking, the SAPP 450(i) form releases carbon dioxide from sodium bicarbonate slowly during mixing and faster during the oven heat, giving the 'double-acting' rise. In processed meat, diphosphates help the meat protein hold water so the cooked sausage stays juicy. In instant pudding mixes, SAPP reacts with the milk's calcium to set a gel without heat.
INS 450 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
Diphosphates are produced by controlled heating of the corresponding monophosphate (sodium / potassium / calcium phosphate), which drives off water and condenses two phosphate units into the diphosphate structure. No animal product is used in their manufacture.
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI as emulsifying salts, raising agents, sequestrants, and water-binding agents under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 for specified food categories with category-specific upper limits, often expressed as phosphorus. The processed-cheese category specifically permits diphosphates within the phosphate emulsifying-salt class; processed meat permits diphosphates with category-specific upper limits on added phosphorus.
JECFA: JECFA's 26th meeting (1982) established a group MTDI of 70 mg/kg body weight expressed as phosphorus for the phosphate group (E338-E343 and E450-E452); this MTDI is still on the JECFA record and reflects total phosphorus from natural food sources and added phosphates combined. The committee's rationale was based on the lowest dietary phosphorus concentration that caused nephrocalcinosis in rats (1% in diet, with a 100-fold safety factor). EFSA's 2019 re-evaluation set a more conservative group ADI of 40 mg/kg body weight per day expressed as phosphorus for the same group (E338-E341, E343, E450-E452), citing newer exposure data and CKD-cardiovascular evidence; the EFSA panel found that dietary exposure may exceed the new ADI for infants, toddlers, and children at average consumption levels, and for adolescents with high-phosphate diets. JECFA has not aligned with EFSA's revision. EFSA's ADI does not apply to people with moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease, which the panel explicitly noted as a vulnerable population.
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 450 is also called:
Last verified: 2026-05-12.