Searching for Hidden Sources of Potassium and Phosphorus Additives in Adults Living With Chronic Kidney Disease.

Authors

Priyal Ketan Tailor, Amy S Y Lee, Kelly Picard

Published in

Seminars in nephrology. Pages 151733. Oct 08, 2026. Epub Oct 08, 2026.

Abstract

Reducing dietary potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) intake is considered a cornerstone for managing hyperkalemia and hyperphosphatemia in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD). K and P additives in processed foods are a growing concern as hidden sources of these minerals, yet their prevalence is unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the characteristics of foods purchased by individuals with CKD, including the prevalence and types of K and P additives and the food categories most associated with these additives. This observational cohort study involved adults with CKD who collected grocery receipts over 4 weeks. Receipts were used to identify foods that may contain K or P additives. Ingredient lists of processed and ultra-processed foods were reviewed to identify items containing these additives. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 31.0. Thirteen adults with CKD aged 54-80 (53.8% female, 84.6% of European descent) participated. A total of 889 food items were identified from 115 receipts, including 429 (48.3%) processed foods. Among these, 51 (11.9%) contained K additives only, 120 (28.0%) contained P additives only, and 34 (7.9%) contained both K and P additives. The most common K additive was K sorbate (57.3%), whereas the most common P additive was lecithin (42.6%). K additives were predominantly found in beverages (28.2%), sauces/salad dressings (20.0%), and ready-to-eat foods (20.0%). P additives were common in snacks (34.4%) and ready-to-eat foods (22.1%). Of 108 excluded foods, 65 items (60.2%) lacked food labels, with 25 (38.5%) being deli items and 23 (35.4%) being bakery items. Adults with CKD frequently purchased foods containing K and P additives. Educating patients about how to avoid these additives may help manage hyperkalemia and hyperphosphatemia. Future research is needed to validate the observed levels of additive exposure.

PMID:
42850176
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 09 Oct 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.