Presenter: Chris Thornton European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP) www.phosphorusplatform.eu Sustainable management of nutrients is crucial for agriculture, food, industry, water and the environment. ESPP brings together companies and stakeholders to address the Phosphorus Challenge and its opportunities for the circular economy. Countries: Austria AT Belgium BE Bulgaria BG Cyprus CY Czech Republic CZ Germany DE Denmark DK Estonia EE Spain ES Finland FI France FR Greece EL Hungary HU Ireland IE Italy IT Lithuania LT Luxembourg LU Latvia LV Malta MT Netherlands NL Poland PL Portugal PT Romania RO Sweden SE Slovenia SI Slovakia SK United Kingdom UK Switzerland CH Phosphorus: Fosfor Fosfor Fòsfòr Фосфор Fosfor Фосфор Fosfor Fosfor Фосфор Фосфор Fosforas Fosfors Fuosfuors Fosfor Ffуsfforws Fosfar Fosfaras Fosfaar Fosforus Φωσφορος Ֆոսֆոր Fosfor Fosfor Фосфор Фосфор ফসফরাস فسفر ફૉસ્ફરસનો फास्फोरस Fosfor Fosfori Foszfor Фосфор Фосфор Паликандур Fosfor Fosfor Фосфор Фосфор Фосфор Фосфор Fosfor فوسفور Fosfor Fosforoa ფოსფორი [fūsfūr] זרחן Fosfru Lìn リン 인 ฟอสฟอรัส Photpho 磷 Posporo Fosfor Pūtūtae-whetū Fosforus ഫോസ്ഫറസ് பொஸ்பரசு Fosofo Fosforase Posfori Fósforo Phusphuru Fosforimi Fosforo Fosforon Pesticium

1. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
Nutrients and food sustainability
Chris Thornton, European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform
info@phosphorusplatform.eu
www.ipni.net

2. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
Food production and food security
Without mineral phosphate fertilisers
we could feed
maybe 1/5th
of the current world population
Adapted from Dawson et al., Food Policy 2011:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/03069192
https://phosphorusalliance.org

3. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
Phosphate is on the EU
Critical Raw Materials List
 Non substitutable
 Non renewable
 Geopolitical resource concentration
 EU 90% dependent
on imports
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/raw-materials/specific-interest/critical_en
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-599_en.htm

4. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
http://www.stockholmresilience.org
Nutrients and sustainability
 Eutrophication
 Planetary boundaries
 Ammonia ( particulates)
(Emissions Ceilings Directive)
Phosphorus is the first
(non morphological) cause of
EU Water Framework Directive
quality status failure
30 % of PM10 particles In Milan
result from livestock ammonia emissions
www.phosphorusplatform.eu/scope122 nitrogen
phosphorus

5. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
Phosphorus (P) in food
• Adults need 0.6 -1 gP per day
https://archive.is/kWypH - https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/phosphorus
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002424.htm - https://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/efsajournal/pub/4185
but Western diet levels are much higher:
• Dietary intake: 1 -2 gP/day in Europe
Welch et al. 2009 http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v63/n4s/full/ejcn200977a.html
and EFSA 2015 http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/consultations/call/150310b.htm
• Only 5-10% of diet P is from food additives
UK EA “Phosphorus in Food Additives” 2013
www.phosphorusplatform.eu/scope103

6. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
Food phosphorus questions
 Diet phosphorus control is critical for
kidney disease patients (CKD)
c. 70 million CKD patients in Europe
http://www.era-edta2015.org/press/1_150526_18.00_Press%20Release_CKD_Challenge.pdf
 Statistical link between
blood phosphorus levels (serum P) and
cardio-vascular disease (CVD)
 supported by in vitro studies
“Clinical aspects of natural and added phosphorus in foods”, Gutiérrez et al. ed.. 2017
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-1-4939-6566-3
and www.phosphorusplatform.eu/scope125

7. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
Food phosphorus questions
 No evidence of causal link: diet P - serum P
in healthy population (good kidney function)
 serum P regulated by kidneys
A. Cooke (IFAC – International Food Additives Council) 2017
“Dietary food-additive phosphate and human health outcomes”
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12275

8. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
Nutrient circular economy
EU Circular Economy Consultation 2015
- 30% of respondents identified bio-nutrients
as “materials the EU should target first” (Q5, Q3)
- 54% cited bio-nutrients or phosphorus (all questions)
see www.phosphorusplatform.eu/scope118
Potentials for nutrient Circular Economy:
- manure - sewage - food waste - digestates / bio-energy residues
- food & beverage production by-products

9. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
Nutrient circular economy
challenge
Contaminants
in organic recycling
“Yuk” factor ?
Irrational fears ?
Science ?

10. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
 Phosphorus in diet and health
- dialogue with science
- informing kidney patients and consumers
- impacts of dietary choices (e.g. meat & dairy)
 Acceptance of recycled nutrients in crop production / purchasing
 Work with fertilisers industries on nutrient recycling
 Upstream nutrient footprint
 Downstream nutrient management / recycling
 Implementation into sustainability criteria
 How to pass on costs from farmers through to consumers
 Making nutrient stewardship & recycling a marketing message
Challenges for the
F&B industry

11. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
• Objectives:
sustainable phosphorus use
- global food security
- circular economy & recycling
- environmental protection
- healthy diet and food safety
• Bringing together:
- wide range of industries
- national & regional governments,
- knowledge institutes
- not for profit Platform
- funded by Members
European Sustainable
Phosphorus Platform
a coalition for action
• Actions:
- vision & awareness
- stakeholders & networking
- dissemination
- policy and regulation dialogue

12. ENG Sustainable Development in the Food & Beverage Industry
Berlin 16-17 January 2018
www.phosphorusplatform.eu
European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform members
Contact: Chris Thornton info@phosphorusplatform.eu