According to the US Federal Gazette, not long ago, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued Document 2018-23672 to approve the use of silica dioxide as an anti-caking agent in feed.

Silica, a chemical formula of SiO2, is an acidic oxide and one of the most important compounds of silicon. The additive silica can be classified into the following three types according to the production process and product form: I fumed silica, II hydrated silica gel, III precipitated silica, and silica gel. Most of the silica used in feed is in the third category. The main raw materials for production are quartz sand, soda ash and sulfuric acid. Silica itself has no toxic side effects, and can be used as a flow-assisting anti-caking agent for various premixes and trace mineral materials, and as a carrier to improve the fluidity of feed and to make all kinds of nutrients in the feed uniform. Mixing, reducing the concentration of active trace components, and separating a plurality of trace active particles, reducing the reaction between the active ingredients, maintaining the stability of the active ingredients, and effectively ensuring the quality of the additives and premixes.

As one of the anti-caking agents, silica is listed in the Catalogue of Feed Additives of the Ministry of Agriculture of China and is an important feed additive. However, at present, there is no standard in China for strictly limiting the amount of silica added in the feed. In actual production, the feed grade silica additive is rarely added to the feed, generally not exceeding 5 ‰. When adding silica to the feed product, the company should ensure that the animal can be discharged normally after use and will not be absorbed. At present, there is no national standard for feed grade silica in China. Therefore, some regions have formulated local standards according to GB 25576-2010 “Food Additive Silica”, such as DB35/T 1208-2011 “Feed Additive Silica”. The standard specifies the requirements, test methods, and testing rules for feed additive silica.