Silicon Dioxide

(in 4,584 products)

1. Anti-caking Agent - Prevents lumps from forming in food due to excess water. They usually function as a water repellent or by absorbing excess moisture.

2. Bulking Agent - Non-nutritious or inactive substances added to increase stability of the mixture.

3. Suspending Agent - Promotes particle suspension or dispersion while reducing sedimentation

Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon, most commonly found in nature as quartz and in various living organisms. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one of the most complex and most abundant families of materials, existing as a compound of several minerals and as a synthetic product. Notable examples include fused quartz, fumed silica, silica gel, and aerogels. It is used in structural materials, microelectronics, and components in the food and pharmaceutical industries. [1]

Silica is a common additive in food production (E551), where it is used primarily as a flow agent in powdered foods, or to adsorb water in hygroscopic applications. It is used as an anti-caking agent in powdered foods such as spices and non-dairy coffee creamer. It is the primary component of diatomaceous earth. Colloidal silica is also used as a wine, beer, and juice fining agent. [1]

In pharmaceutical products, silica aids powder flow when tablets are formed. In cosmetics, it's useful for its light-diffusing properties and natural absorbency. Hydrated silica is used in toothpaste as a hard abrasive to remove tooth plaque. [1]

It is approved to use as a food additive in the EU and generally recognized as a safe food substance in the US.

1. PubChem: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/24261

1. EU Approved Food Additive [2018]

- E551

2. Japan’s List of Designated Food Additives under Article 10 of the Food Sanitation Act

- Silicon Dioxide (Silica Gel)

3. Canada List of Permitted Food Additives

- List 8 - Silicon Dioxide

4. US FDA Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) (21 CFR 182) [2017]

- §182.90