Nanomaterials

Chapter 6Nanosilica Particles in Food: A Case of Synthetic Amorphous Silica

Rookmoney Thakur and Shalini Singh^*

Department of Operations and Quality, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa

^*Corresponding author: [e-mail]

Abstract

Additives have been introduced to food to preserve flavor or improve its taste and appearance. With the advent of processed foods, many more additives have been sought from both natural and artificial origins. The sizes of the additives are in the nano-range, 1–100 nm, and are found in salt, spices, sweets, coffee, coffee creamer, soup and sauce powders, and seasoning mixes, typically as an anti-caking agent and in beers and wines as a stabilizing agent. This chapter focuses on a food additive, E551 (silicon dioxide) or nanosilica, which is synthetic amorphous in nature and consists of micrometer-sized aggregates and agglomerates in the micrometer-size range. Nanosilica boasts wide applications despite suggestions from the literature that ingested nanoparticles can travel to the liver, the kidneys, and the brain, disrupting DNA and potentially leading to the development of cancer and lesions. The different forms of silica, its properties, and methods of manufacturing and potential hazards to human health are discussed.

Keywords: Nanosilica, food additives, E551, SAS, toxicology

6.1 Introduction

Additives have been introduced to food for centuries to enhance flavors or improve taste and appearance. However, with the advent of ...