Sodium Aluminum Phosphate

Pop tarts have leavening in them. Leavening is what causes dough or bread to rise. So it's used in many other bread products. Inside leavening is the chemical ingredient called sodium aluminium phosphate. The chemical formula for this is AlNaO4P+. (4 is a subscript of Oxygen)

Sodium aluminum phosphate is a food additive often found in in food products such as processed cheese and instant pancake mixes. Some worry that this chemical ingredient can lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Aluminum is absorbed and may accumulated in different organs in both adults and infants. However there are claims that the aluminum comes from the water more so than the food. So in the end it doesn't cause the need for major concern. Although if the powder gets in the eye it will cause minor irritation.

The chemical ingredient can be made in both the oven and by man. More so by man I should say. Like I mentioned before sodium aluminium phosphate is the things that makes the bread rise. You know what else makes bread rise: BAKING SODA! Any baker (amateur or professional) knows that baking soda is needed to make the bread rise in the oven while baking. Without this ingredient then the cookies, cake, or whatever pastry would be flat and have no fluff. Sodium aluminum phosphate is like baking soda.

It looks like baking soda too. In it's physical form it is a white powder or white crystals. It is normally odorless and has a molar mass is 144.943 g/mol. Some of it's chemical properties include it flammability NFPA rating being 0 (meaning that it is not a fire hazard), it is soluble in oncentrated hydrochloric acid, and is stable under normal conditions.

Once again the overall purpose of sodium aluminum phosphate in Pop tarts is to made the pastry crust rise when baking.