# Phosphoric Acid. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid/808119 "2018-02-03T20:35:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid/808119/1 "2018-02-03T20:35:48Z")
A couple of years ago, I was watching this show on the History Channel. It was about old fashioned soda fountains. They were all the rage in the 1950’s, apparently. And the people who manned them (soda jerks, they were called), were quite resourceful in what they could make. Anyway, this one drink called for a teaspoon of phosphoric acid, I recall. I forget the exact name of the drink (bear with me, it’s been a couple of years). But that got me to wondering. Where do you buy phosphoric acid? How do you use it? And this is important: what does it taste like? I just know that they put it in many sodas now (cola, for example). But darned if I know why. I’m hoping you can all educate me on the matter. As I said, at one time it was a staple of drugstore soda fountains. Thank you all in advance for your help:) 🙂 🙂 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![zazzles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c89c15/32.png) [@zazzles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zazzles)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid/808119/2 "2018-02-03T20:45:04Z")
From wiki: > [@](#): > > Food-grade phosphoric acid (additive E338[16]) is used to acidify foods and beverages such as various colas and jams. It provides a tangy or sour taste. Various salts of phosphoric acid, such as monocalcium phosphate, are used as leavening agents.[15] Phosphoric acid in soft drinks has the potential to cause dental erosion.[17] My guess is the soda makers of old were colluding with dentists to mess up your teeth. Making them a bunch of jerks. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid/808119/3 "2018-02-03T20:45:57Z")
I don’t know if you can eat it, but you can buy it on Amazon (and probably any chemical supplier on the internet). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid/808119/4 "2018-02-03T20:52:52Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > Anyway, this one drink called for a teaspoon of phosphoric acid, I recall. I forget the exact name of the drink (bear with me, it’s been a couple of years). Around here, at least, they just call them “phosphates.” You can still find them being served in a few places. [See here on the menu](http://www.lindyschili.com/gertiesmenu2.pdf), bottom right. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid/808119/5 "2018-02-03T21:00:40Z")
Now, I must say, I don’t know for certain if they are “real” phosphates or just syrup + soda water. I’m leaning towards them being the latter, as all the other sodas on the menu are made with ice cream, so I’m assuming “phosphate” is just a way to distinguish them as ice-cream-less sodas and have that nice “old timey” name. I don’t know for certain. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2018, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phosphoric-acid/808119/6 "2018-02-03T21:03:54Z")
And [this is the acid phosphate](https://www.artofdrink.com/product/acid-phosphate) you want for your drinks (or similar. I’m not saying that brand, but “acid phosphate” seems to be the name it’s sold under.) From what I’ve been reading up about it, it just seems to be an acidifying component that does not have much flavor of its own (as opposed to something like citric acid, which has a definite fruit component to the flavor.)