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Y ou want to know what’s in your food, and this is especially true when it comes
to fresh seafood. Unfortunately, the fish fillet you see in the store may have
been treated with a chemical called sodium tripolyphosphate. This much-debated
additive can make expired products appear firmer and glossier, and could dupe you
into buying old or spoiled fish that could make you sick. Worse yet, exposure to the
chemical itself could also be harmful for your health.
Health Risks
Sodium tripolyphosphate, or STPP, is a suspected neuro-
toxin according to the National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) Registry of Toxic Effects of
Chemical Substances.1 Food-grade STPP may cause acute
skin irritation, and prolonged contact with skin should be
avoided.2 STPP is listed on the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency’s Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenti-
cide Act as a registered pesticide,3 and it is also registered
as an air contaminant under California’s Occupational and
Safety Health Act.4 Although the FDA considers STPP to be
“generally recognized as safe” as a food preservative,5 its
household and industrial uses — such as in cleaning and
sanitizing agents — suggest that exposure can be danger-
ous in the short-term, particularly if it is inhaled.