The application prospects of silica in the food industry are broad, and its development revolves around functional upgrading, safety optimization, and emerging needs. 1、 Traditional functions and emerging demands 1. Traditional functions ① Anti caking agent: prevents powdered foods such as milk powder, sugar powder, cocoa powder from clumping and maintains loose flowability. ② Moisture absorption and prevention: Absorbs environmental moisture and extends the shelf life of food, such as seasonings and solid beverages. ③ Thickening and stabilizing improve the texture of food (such as salad dressings, soups), and serve as a carrier to fix spice ingredients. 2. Emerging demand ① Targeted release: By loading nutrients (such as vitamins and probiotics) onto mesoporous silica, pH or temperature responsive release is achieved to enhance bioavailability (e.g. targeted release of probiotics from the intestine). ② Flavor regulation: embedding flavor compounds to solve the problem of aroma loss during processing (such as aroma locking in roasted coffee beans) ③ Nanoscale applications: Nanosilica with a particle size of<100nm can enhance the stability of transparent beverages (such as suspended fruit beverage), but the inhalation risk needs to be strictly evaluated. ④ Multi level pore structure: The high specific surface area (>500m ²/g) model enhances the oil adsorption capacity and develops low-fat foods (such as fried coating powder with a 30% increase in oil absorption). 2. Differences in production processes ① Food grade: The raw material requires high-purity quartz sand, which is hydrolyzed by hydrochloric acid, filtered, washed with ultrapure water, and then purified with high-temperature de crystallized water; The entire production process is carried out in the GMP workshop to avoid heavy metal pollution. ② Industrial grade: Directly crush natural quartz sand containing impurity minerals; The process is simple and the cost is only 1/5~1/3 of food grade. 3. Security certification requirements ① Food grade: must be certified by FDA (US), EFSA (EU), and GB 25576 (China); Toxicology reports (acute toxicity, mutagenicity, etc.) are required. ② Industrial grade: Only needs to comply with industrial product standards (such as HG/T 3061), with no biosafety requirements. 3、 How to identify compliant products 1. Check the packaging label: ① Indicate "food additive", "E551" or "INS551". ② Label the production license number (such as SC113XXXXXXXX). 2. Check the authentication documents: ① Request COA (Certificate of Quality Analysis) to confirm lead content<3ppm and arsenic<1ppm. 3. Observation of characteristics: ① Food grade is a white fluffy powder, while industrial grade often contains grayish yellow impurities. 4. Food grade silica is safe and harmless at compliant dosages (usually ≤ 2%), but industrial grade is absolutely prohibited from being used in food or medicine! When purchasing, it is necessary to choose a reputable manufacturer and avoid using "bulk silica" from unknown sources. The impact of silica on the human body depends on the contact method, dosage, and form, and there are essential differences between food grade silica and ordinary industrial grade silica in terms of raw material purity, production process, use, and safety standards. By 2030, the food grade silica market is expected to grow by 6.2% annually, with the core focus on balancing the dual demands of "functionality" and "safety".