Additive Е551 can be found in chips, crackers, flour, sugar , salt, cheeses, condiments, some confectionery products and alcohol-containing drinks. Let's figure out what the effect on the body is E551.
What is it for?
This additive is silica or ground quartz. It is added to the products to prevent their caking and the formation of lumps. That is, E551 is an anti-caking agent related to a group of emulsifiers. Thanks to such a food additive, the desired consistency and structure of the products are preserved.
Harmful or not E551?
This additive belongs to the group of safe, it is approved for use in the EU, Ukraine and Russia. Some studies have suggested that the use of silicon dioxide is a preventive measure of Alzheimer's disease , but we can not talk about it with absolute certainty, as it is to say about the absolute safety of the E551 for the human body.
Silicon dioxide neutralizes the alkaline environment, getting into the body, it can interact with various substances. In the course of such chemical reactions, the formation of any harmful compounds is possible. That is, it was not possible to accurately track the way that the food supplement E551 passes in the body. Therefore, restrictions are imposed - 1 kg of the finished product should account for not more than 30 g of silicon dioxide.
Potential damage to E551 can be as follows:
- formation of toxic compounds after ingestion;
- formation of stones in the kidneys, gall bladder and pancreas;
- granuloma formation;
- there is a possibility of a carcinogenic effect.
However, the harmful effect of E551 on the body is also not proven. By the way, this substance is widely used in medicine as a sorbent, which binds and removes unnecessary compounds from the body.
A feature of silicon dioxide is that it does not interact with water. Limited use of foods with food additives of serious harm, most likely, will not cause, in this case, silicon dioxide has time to be excreted from the body. If in your menu there are always products containing E551, then silicon dioxide can accumulate, and this, probably, will lead to unpleasant consequences. It is better to limit the products with its content to people prone to the formation of stones in the kidneys and gall bladder.