Sodium hexametaphosphate

Sodium hexametaphosphate is a sequestrant and emulsifying salt used in processed cheese, canned milk, and to stop mineral haze in drinks.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Sodium hexametaphosphate by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted21 CFR 182.6760retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFANot listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited.

What it is made from

Made by heating monosodium phosphate to high temperature and quenching the melt, giving a glassy polyphosphate.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
InChIKey
GCLGEJMYGQKIIW-UHFFFAOYSA-H
PubChem
CID 24968

Every name it appears under

33 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

CAS registry number

  • 10124-56-8

As it appears in regulation

  • Sodium hexametaphosphate

Other names

  • Calgon (old)
  • Calgon S
  • Caswell No. 772
  • Chemi-charl
  • EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 076402
  • FEMA 3027
  • Graham's salt
  • Hexametaphosphate, sodium salt
  • Hexasodium hexametaphosphate
  • Hexasodium metaphosphate
  • Hexasodium metaphosphate (P6O186(-))
  • HMP
  • HSDB 5053
  • HYPHOS CONCENTRATE
  • Medi-Calgon
  • Metaphosphoric acid (H6P6O18), hexasodium salt
  • METAPHOSPHORIC ACID SODIUM SALT
  • Metaphosphoric acid, hexasodium salt
  • Natrium hexametaphosphat
  • Phosphate, sodium hexameta
  • polymetaphosphate
  • SHMP
  • SHP
  • Sodium Hexametaphosphate
  • SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE ((NAPO3)6)
  • Sodium hexametaphosphate (Na6P6O18)
  • Sodium hexametaphosphate, LR, >=67% P2O5 basis
  • Sodium phosphate (Na6P6O18)
  • SODIUMHEXAMETAPHOSPHATE

Systematic names

  • Hexasodium 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaoxo-2lambda~5~,4lambda~5~,6lambda~5~,8lambda~5~,10lambda~5~,12lambda~5~-cyclohexaphosphoxane-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexakis(olate)
  • hexasodium;2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaoxido-1,3,5,7,9,11-hexaoxa-2lambda5,4lambda5,6lambda5,8lambda5,10lambda5,12lambda5-hexaphosphacyclododecane 2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaoxide

Hazard reference values

No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/sodium-hexametaphosphate.json