Monocalcium Phosphate Properties

Description

Monocalcium phosphate is a chemical compound. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient and therefore is a common component of agricultural fertilizers. Monocalcium phosphate is also used in the food industry as a leavening agent to cause baked goods to rise. Because it is acidic, when combined with an alkali ingredient – commonly sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate – it reacts to produce carbon dioxide and a salt. The carbon dioxide gas is what leavens the baked good. When combined in a ready-made baking powder, the acid and alkali ingredients are included in the right proportions such that they will exactly neutralize each other and not significantly affect the overall pH of the product.