Iron(III) phosphate, also ferric orthophosphate, or ferric phosphate, FePO₄, is a phosphate

Phosphate

A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...

 of iron

Iron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...

. It is one of the few molluscicide

Molluscicide

Molluscicides, also known as snail baits and snail pellets, are pesticides against molluscs, which are usually used in agriculture or gardening to control gastropod pests like slugs and snails that can damage crops by feeding on them....

s approved for use in the practice of organic farming

Organic farming

Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...

.

Unlike the older metaldehyde

Metaldehyde

Metaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula 4. It is commonly used as a pesticide against slugs, snails, and other gastropods. It is the cyclic tetramer of acetaldehyde.-Production and properties:...

, it is non-toxic to pets and wildlife.

It is also used rarely as an iron

Iron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...

 nutritional supplement and to reduce the risk of both haemorrhages and nosebleeds

Nosebleeds

Nosebleeds may refer to:* Multiple occurrences of Epistaxis * Nosebleed section, the highest seats of a public arena* Ed Banger and The Nosebleeds aka The Nosebleeds, a British punk rock band of the 1970s...

. This preparation is called Ferrum phosphoricum.

The substance is not allowed to be included in food inside the European Union. The substance was withdrawn from the list of allowed substances in the directive 2002/46/EC in 2007.

See also

• Iron(II) phosphate
  Iron(II) phosphate
  Iron phosphate, also ferrous phosphate, Fe32, is an iron salt of phosphoric acid. It is used in garden chemicals such as moss killers and slug pellets.-Natural occurrences :...
  
  , the lower phosphate of iron
• Lithium iron phosphate battery
  Lithium iron phosphate battery
  The lithium iron phosphate battery, also called LFP battery, is a type of rechargeable battery, specifically a lithium-ion battery, which uses LiFePO4 as a cathode material.-History:...
  
  , a battery
  Battery (electricity)
  An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
  
  that uses iron phosphate