Anticaking

Anticaking refers to a class of additives formulated to prevent clumping in dry, free-flowing powders during processing, packaging, and storage. They are widely used in foods such as salt, sugar, flour, and spices, as well as in fertilizers, detergents, and cosmetic powders.

Most anticaking agents work by altering moisture interactions or interparticle forces. Mechanisms include absorbing ambient moisture to keep surfaces dry, coating particles with a hydrophobic or lubricating layer to reduce cohesion, and changing surface roughness or porosity to improve flow.

Common anticaking agents include inorganic minerals such as silicon dioxide (silica), colloidal silicon dioxide, calcium silicate, magnesium carbonate, and tricalcium phosphate; aluminosilicates like sodium aluminum silicate; clays such as bentonite. Organic or fatty additives such as lecithin, stearates, and glycerol monostearate may provide lubrication; starch and cellulose derivatives can act as carriers. Some blends combine more than one type.

Regulatory guidelines: In many jurisdictions, anticaking agents used in food are approved additives with specified usage limits set by agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority. Typical inclusion levels are a small percentage by weight. They are intended to improve flow and packaging efficiency without altering flavor or nutritional content.

Safety and considerations: When used within permissible limits, anticaking agents are considered safe for their intended use. Potential concerns include inhalation exposure during handling of fine powders and, for certain aluminum-containing compounds, adherence to jurisdictional restrictions.