By blending the acidic monosodium salt with the alkaline disodium salt in the appropriate ratio. More MSP gives a lower pH, more DSP a higher one, and the pair will hold the system anywhere from roughly pH 5 to 8. The total phosphate concentration sets the buffer capacity, meaning how much acid or alkali it can absorb before the pH moves.
2
Why do phosphates improve water retention in meat processing?
They raise pH slightly away from the isoelectric point of the muscle proteins, which is the pH at which those proteins carry no net charge and hold the least water. Moving away from it opens the protein structure so it binds and retains more water during cooking, reducing cook loss and improving juiciness and yield.
3
Is MSP a strong acid?
No. It is a mild acidulant giving a solution around pH 4.5, far gentler than a mineral acid. That is exactly why it is used to acidify electroplating and anodising baths and to adjust pH in processes where hydrochloric or sulphuric acid would be too aggressive on the substrate or the equipment.
4
What hydration states are available?
Anhydrous, monohydrate and dihydrate are all traded. The anhydrous form carries the most phosphate per tonne; the hydrates carry proportionally less because of the bound water. The form must be specified for accurate dosing, since substituting one for another on a weight basis changes the phosphate delivered.
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