I see this ingredient in a lot of foods that I buy, and have always wondered just what this actually is and if we should be eating it. Would Campbell’s really put this in their Chicken Noodle Soup if it wasn’t good for us? I won’t pass judgment on it just yet, but let me share with you what I have found out, then you can tell me what you think.
To start, I went to the page about Potassium Chloride on Wikipedia – that was a mistake. Take a look at this excerpt from the page:
The majority of the potassium chloride produced is used for making fertilizer, since the growth of many plants is limited by their potassium intake.
Fertilizer! Why are manufacturers using an ingredient primarily used for fertilizer in our food? Is it listed in the ingredients only because the other ingredients used were fertilized with fertilizer made with Potassium Chloride? Or is it added for some other reason? I kept reading the WikiPedia article:
…and in judicial execution through lethal injection. It is sometimes used in water as a completion fluid in oil and gas operations.
This sure doesn’t make me want to run out and buy food with this additive. And how about this:
Potassium chloride makes up 70% of Ace Hardware’s allegedly pet and vegetarian friendly “Ice Melt”
Well, still nothing about why it is in the food, until you get to this:
Potassium is vital in the human body and oral potassium chloride is the common means to replenish it, although it can also be diluted and given intravenously (of course, in concentrations much lower than those used in executions). It can be used as a salt substitute for food, but due to its weak, bitter, unsalty flavor, it is usually mixed with regular salt, sodium chloride, for this purpose to improve the taste (for example, in Morton Lite Salt.
So now I am lost. It goes on to talk about how in excess it is toxic, but only as toxic as regular salt. So does this mean using it as a food additive is safe? The FDA surely thinks it is, but I just can’t get over the fact that it is used in fertilizers and lethal injections. Now I want to hear from you Whole Food Junkies what you think.
Filed under: Food and Drink | Tagged: additive, food, sodium, toxic
I decided to look up this ingredient after spotting it listed in Pillsbury biscuits after I served my 2 kids. I don’t know what to think but I will discontinue use until I have more answers
Hey I was just reading the same things and came upon your post. I too want to know the answer about this stuff. I was just about to have a bowl of soup and seen it listed in the ingredients and thought I would see what this stuff was. I hope its surely better than MSG.. that stuff makes me swell instantly. Let me know if you find out and I’ll let you know.
I did just find this. I guess it doesn’t sound so bad, as of yet!!
KCl (potassium chloride) is generally safe for consumption. It is already sold in a pure state in the spice section of your grocery store as Nu Salt. However, it is more bitter than standard salt. Consuming way too much can cause dehydration since it is a diuretic.
As a preservative, it would not be a good substitute for regular salt (NaCl). It would taste horribly bitter and really dehydrate you.