Magnesium trisilicate
Chemical compound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Magnesium trisilicate is an inorganic compound that is used as a food additive. The additive is frequently used by fast food chains to absorb fatty acids and extract impurities formed while frying edible oils.[1] It has good acid neutralizing properties, but the reaction appears too slow to serve as an effective non-prescription antacid.[2]
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| Preferred IUPAC name
Dimagnesium dioxido-bis[(oxido-oxosilyl)oxy]silane | |
| Identifiers | |
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3D model (JSmol) |
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| ChEMBL | |
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| DrugBank | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.035.509 |
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PubChem CID |
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| UNII |
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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| Properties | |
| Mg2O8Si3 | |
| Molar mass | 260.857 g·mol−1 |
| Appearance | White crystals |
| Odor | Odourless |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Health effects
On March 12, 2007, Chinese health authorities halted the use of magnesium trisilicate at Shaanxi Province KFC franchises, suspecting it to be a possible carcinogen.[3] As a response, China's Ministry of Health conducted tests at six outlets of KFC.[4] The results showed chemicals in the cooking process at KFC restaurants in the country were not harmful.[5] The Ministry of Health said tests showed that using the product to filter cooking oil had no apparent impact on health. Food scares regularly sweep the Chinese media.[6]
