beauty
cleaning
food
industrial

Trisodium phosphate

CAS 65185-91-3 · 40/100 · High conf.

Also registered as 4 other CAS numbers

96337-98-3 · 1269628-78-5 · 2761986-28-9 · 7601-54-9

Concern score

40/100Moderate concern based on regulatory listings.

High confidence

Trisodium phosphate in plain language

What it is: Also known as Tribasic sodium phosphate · Sodium phosphate, tribasic, anhydrous · Sodium phosphate tribasic · sodium phosphates · Sodium phosphate (tribasic) · Sodium orthophosphate
Show all 32 names
Tribasic sodium-phosphate · Trisodium orthophosphate · trisodium;phosphate · Antisal 4 · Dri-Tri · E-339(III) · Emulsiphos 440/660 · Ins NO.339(III) · INS-339(III) · Laston RP · Nutrifos STP · Oakite · Orthophosphate de trisodium · Phosphoric acid sodium salt (1:3) · trisodium salt Phosphoric acid · Tribasic anhydrous sodium phosphate · tertiary Sodium orthophosphate · Sodium phosphate (Na3PO4) · anhydrous Sodium phosphate · Sodium tertiary phosphate · Tertiary sodium phosphate · Tribasic sodium orthophosphate · Trinatriumphosphat · Tromete · ortofosfato de trisodio · sodium phosphate/trisodium phosphate (sara iii)
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a pH buffer and a chelating agent.
Buffering
Chelating
Acidity regulator, sequestrant, stabilizer
Colourant
Chelating agent
pH adjuster
Is it a concern?: Moderate concern: no hazard classifications on record. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Why it's flagged

EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 565 composition records across product categories including Vehicle, Specialty occupational products, Cleaning and safety.

The score describes this ingredient's chemical identity — its hazard profile from published classifications and regulatory status — not the safety of any product it appears in.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Trisodium phosphate appears in these published regulatory listings.

Inactive ingredient in US drugs

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Industrial

GLOBALJECFAEvaluated2 entries
- JECFA evaluation record.Source →
- JECFA evaluation record. Functional class: acidity regulator, sequestrant, stabilizer.Source →
USFDAinactive ingredient database2 entries
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: POWDER, FOR SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 209 mgSource →
- Route: ORAL; Dosage form: SUSPENSION; Maximum daily exposure: 528 mgSource →
EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
EUEFSAEFSA opinionOpinion of the Scientific Panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food (AFC) related to Treatment of poultry carcasses with chlorine dioxide, acidified sodium chlorite, trisodium phosphate and peroxyacids (EFSA AFC)
- Opinion of the Scientific Panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food (AFC) related to Treatment of poultry carcasses with chlorine dioxide, acidified sodium chlorite, trisodium phosphate and peroxyacids (EFSA AFC)Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 565 composition records across product categories including Vehicle, Specialty occupational products, Cleaning and safety. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Chelating agent, pH regulating agent, Pigment.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 565 composition records across product categories including Vehicle, Specialty occupational products, Cleaning and safety. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Chelating agent, pH regulating agent, Pigment.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →
USUSDA FoodData Centralobserved in branded food ingredient statementsObserved in 1 USDA branded foods including Tyson Fire Stingers Fully Cooked Breaded Bone-In Chicken Wing Sections, Smedium.
- Observed in 1 USDA branded foods including Tyson Fire Stingers Fully Cooked Breaded Bone-In Chicken Wing Sections, Smedium.Source →

Expert safety opinions

Independent scientific assessments cited by the records we hold, with the year and link where the record gives one.

SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.
EFSA
European Food Safety Authority
- Opinion of the Scientific Panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food (AFC) related to Treatment of poultry carcasses with chlorine dioxide, acidified sodium chlorite, trisodium phosphate and peroxyacids (EFSA AFC)
  2006 · EU EFSA listing · Read the source →
JECFA
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives
- JECFA evaluation record.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →
- JECFA evaluation record. Functional class: acidity regulator, sequestrant, stabilizer.
  Year not recorded · GLOBAL JECFA listing · Read the source →

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Trisodium phosphate yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

10 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EFSA OpenFoodTox
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated august 26, 2019
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA Inactive Ingredient Database
regulatory · updated 2026-01-09
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
WHO JECFA Database
regulatory · updated 2026-10-04
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →
USDA Branded Foods
product_occurrence · updated 2026-02-19
Open →

Reference links (2)

Openfda substance

codexalimentarius.net

Read →

Openfda substance

sigmaaldrich.com

Read →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Food use

Food-use source coverage is present in the current record.

Good fit

The ingredient appears in food-oriented source coverage or allowed-use references, which makes food use easier to support than a context with no domain signal at all.

Fragrance avoidance

No fragrance-linked caution surfaced in the current profile.

Good fit

This ingredient does not currently read as a fragrance-linked driver in the published evidence and hazard profile.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Trisodium phosphate in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

565

Named organisations

VehicleSpecialty occupational productsCleaning and safetyHome maintenanceLaboratory suppliesPersonal care

Typical roles

BufferingChelatingAcidity regulator, sequestrant, stabilizerColourantChelating agentpH adjuster

See products using Trisodium phosphate →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Trisodium phosphate; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 182 →Find products without it →