Risk Assessment of the Dietary Phosphate Exposure in Taiwan Population Using a Total Diet Study

Phosphorus and calcium are essential nutrients for the human body. However, excessive intake of phosphates and a low calcium:phosphorus ratio can lead to disorders in calcium-phosphorus metabolism, kidney disease, or osteoporosis. In this study, a total diet study (TDS) was used. The total phosphorus concentrations of foods were combined with the average dietary consumption to calculate the estimated daily intake, which was compared with the maximum tolerable daily intake (MTDI) to assess the resulting health risk of total phosphorus exposure. The calcium concentration in food and total calcium intake were also analyzed and estimated to calculate the calcium:phosphorus ratio. In conclusion, the phosphate exposure risks for the Taiwanese population are acceptable. However, the calcium:phosphorus ratio in the Taiwanese population (0.51–0.63) is lower than the reference calcium:phosphorus ratio (1.25).