E552 / Acidity regulators & anti-caking agents
Calcium silicate
Safety in brief
Safe
Recorded EatMatrix rating, not a new clinical review. The amount, your sensitivities and country rules still matter.
- Watch for
- No allergen or sensitivity is recorded for this ingredient here. Check the whole product label; this is not an allergen-free guarantee.
- Our advice
- Read the whole food label and consider how often you eat the product. A name or E number does not tell you the amount, and an ingredient rating cannot assess the entire food.
What it is
Calcium silicate (E552) is used as an anticaking agent to help food stay free-flowing. Its food-use conditions and scientific assessment are separate questions. See the primary sources above: a blanket EFSA/FDA safety claim does not accurately describe them.
Also appears on labels as: Calcium silicate, Ca-silicate, Food grade calcium silicate, Calcium silicate powder, Calcium silicate solution, Additivo alimentare calcium silicate, Additif alimentaire calcium silicate, Lebensmittelzusatzstoff calcium silicate, Calcium salt of silicic acid, Synthetic calcium silicate, E552, E 552.
What does E552 calcium silicate do in food?
E552 identifies calcium silicate. It is used as an anticaking agent: it helps food stay free-flowing instead of clumping. That is a practical function in food, not evidence of a health benefit from eating it. E551 identifies silicon dioxide, a different ingredient; the similar names do not make their safety assessments interchangeable.
An EFSA assessment exists, but the 2018 opinion found the evidence insufficient to assess the safety of E552 and the other silicates it covered. This does not prove that eating E552 causes harm, and it does not support our imported description’s previous blanket claim of EFSA safety approval. Effects on a person cannot be inferred from the E number alone: the label does not give the amount consumed. EatMatrix’s full evidence review remains pending.
US 21 CFR 172.410 permits calcium silicate as an anticaking agent only in the amount reasonably needed for that effect, with a maximum of 2% by weight of the food, or 5% in baking powder. The eCFR text checked was current through October 5, 2026. These are food-use conditions, not a personal daily intake or permission in every country. EFSA’s July 31, 2026 data call concerns talc (E553b); its background describes an amended mandate to assess talc first and E552 and the other silicates later. It is not a new E552 safety verdict or ban.
- FSA additive names and E numbers (June 25, 2026)
- FDA: calcium silicate identity and anticaking function
- US anticaking use conditions: 21 CFR 172.410
- EFSA silicates assessment, published August 2, 2018
- EFSA July 31, 2026 talc data call: background on the silicates update
See how EatMatrix reads an ingredient list before trying the app. Compare a scan with the physical label.
Identity and food-use sources checked . The E number alone does not tell you the amount in a product. Wider scientific and market checks are described below.
Dietary information
- Vegan
- Yes
- Halal
- Yes
- Gluten-free
- Yes
- Allergens
- None recorded
Recorded ingredient information. Check the product label or certification: sources, other ingredients and cross-contact can vary.
Research & body effects
Selected research on E552
How to read study types- Regulator reviewEFSA re-evaluation of calcium silicate, magnesium silicates and talc
EFSA could not assess safety because long-term and reproductive studies were missing. Intake from supplements stayed below doses used in antacid medicines.
Summaries of each source's published abstract or statement, checked . This is a selection of sources, not a complete literature review. Authority assessments apply to the uses and places they cover.
Health notes from our ingredient record
- The imported blanket safety note is withheld pending source review. The US anticaking-use conditions and EFSA evidence status are described with their sources above; neither supplies a new EatMatrix safety rating.
Other references from our ingredient record
These links come from the original ingredient record. They are separate from the source reviews above and have not all been checked for the exact ingredient, amount consumed or claim. Dates are shown newest first.
- Re‐evaluation of calcium silicate (E 552), magnesium silicate (E 553a(i)), magnesium trisilicate (E 553a(ii)) and talc (E 553b) as food additives — EFSA Panel on Food Additives, EFSA Journal (2018). Official EFSA scientific opinion (bibliographic reference, imported 2026-10-13). It covers the additive as a group assessment and is not an individual human study; read the opinion for its findings.
Country rules
Country checks for E552
Permission depends on the market, type of food, amount and conditions. A scientific opinion or an E-number alone does not establish a legal use. These checks are separate from the stored EatMatrix rating.
Compare all eight markets and their sources
| Market | What is checked |
|---|---|
| European Union | Regulation (EC) 1333/2008, Annex II Part B, version , contains the exact code E552: Calcium silicate. Listing alone does not allow every food use. Part E food categories, limits, specifications and applicable later acts still need a product-specific check. Source read: . |
| Great Britain | The FSA register record for E552 (Calcium silicate) lists “Authorised” in England, Scotland and Wales. Register updated: 01 April 2025; record checked: . Food-specific conditions and specifications still need a separate legal check. |
| United States | Selected US conditions for Calcium silicate Official federal text current through ; read . Food uses, limits and exceptionsNamed preparation and use conditions The calcium silicate provisions specify anticaking use at no more than needed and at most 2% by food weight, with up to 5% by weight in baking powder. The separate GRAS section names table salt at 2% and baking powder at 5%. These refer to calcium silicate, not a different compound appearing in an alias. EatMatrix’s reading: a legal use condition answers where and how an ingredient may be used. It is not a test of your product, a personal safe intake or a claim that the ingredient benefits your body. Match the named substance, food and amount. Other federal provisions, food standards, state rules and later changes may also apply; this is a selected source review, not a complete product-compliance decision. |
| Northern Ireland | Review pending. Check the applicable EU rules and territory arrangements; the GB register alone does not establish this status. FSA guidance is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
| Canada | Named food-use records located. Health Canada lists the preparations below for specified foods and purposes. This is conditional permission for those uses, not approval of every product or a personal safety verdict. Only the named records and conditions below were located. Exact composition and specifications still need matching. Source tables captured . List publication dates are shown separately. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a condition of use, not an unlimited amount or a recommended intake. Food and Drug Regulations B.16.003 requires the listed source, purpose, amount and other conditions to match. The official consolidation read was current to 21 September 2026; product specifications and applicable later changes still need checking. Read 10 listed food-use conditionsCalcium SilicateHealth Canada: List of Permitted Anticaking Agents. List published ; item C.2.
Calcium SilicateHealth Canada: List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Purposes of Use. List published ; item C.9.
EatMatrix reading: match the exact preparation and food first. A manufacturing limit is not an acceptable daily intake (ADI). A label without the amount cannot establish exposure, and an unlisted name here does not establish a ban. |
| Australia | Review pending. Food Standards Code permissions and conditions need an additive-specific check. FSANZ food-additive rules is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
| New Zealand | Review pending. Food Standards Code permissions and conditions need an additive-specific check. FSANZ food-additive rules is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
| Japan | Review pending. The relevant list, identity and use standards need an additive-specific check. CAA food-additive lists is a starting source, not a verified permission for this entry. |
Sources & review status
Check what each source covers: an authority’s conclusion, a research finding and a country’s legal permission answer different questions.
What this guide covers
- Selected research
- 1 source summaries, with publication dates and study types. Several publications may describe the same study population.
- Official assessment sources
- Commission-listed EFSA references for E552. Bibliographic identity checked; latest findings and current use rules need separate review.
- Original ingredient record
- 1 research link; newest recorded date: . Sources added separately to this guide are not included in this count.
This guide brings together our ingredient record and the dated sources shown here. Missing information describes a gap in this guide; it does not mean an ingredient is untested, safe or harmful. This is not a complete review of every study, preparation or current country rule. The amount in a product and how it is used still matter.
How to read the ratings, research and country checksAgency labels recorded by EatMatrix
These are imported database classifications, not verified current statements from each authority. Use the dated official sources below for their actual scope and conclusions.
| Authority | Database label |
|---|---|
| FDA | Safe |
| WHO | Safe |
| EFSA | Safe |
| FSANZ | Safe |
| Japan | Safe |
| UK FSA | Safe |
| Health Canada | Safe |
Official assessment sources for E552
The European Commission’s re-evaluation table lists official EFSA documents for this additive. Their identifiers and subjects were checked against publisher bibliographic records. A missing research link in the EatMatrix database does not mean the additive has never been assessed.
Name in the Commission table: Calcium silicate.
- Re‐evaluation of calcium silicate (E 552), magnesium silicate (E 553a(i)), magnesium trisilicate (E 553a(ii)) and talc (E 553b) as food additives
EFSA scientific opinion. Published: .
These are assessment references, including historical or group assessments. They do not establish the latest scientific conclusion, a human health benefit or risk, or current permission to use the additive in a particular food. Later assessments, corrections and food-use conditions need separate review. The recorded EatMatrix rating above is unchanged.
European Commission re-evaluation table, status as of . EatMatrix checked this bibliography on .
Database updated: . What does an E number mean on a food label?
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is EatMatrix's recorded rating for E552?
The recorded EatMatrix rating for E552 (Calcium silicate) is “Safe”. It is calculated from labels stored in our ingredient database. These labels are not verified current regulator decisions or country permissions. A database update date is not a scientific review date.
Is E552 vegan, halal or gluten-free?
According to our ingredient data for Calcium silicate — vegan: yes, vegetarian: yes, halal: yes, kosher: yes, gluten-free: yes, dairy-free: yes. Manufacturing sources can vary between products; check the label if it matters to you.
What is E552 and why is it used?
Calcium silicate (E552) is used as an anticaking agent to help food stay free-flowing. Its food-use conditions and scientific assessment are separate questions. See the primary sources above: a blanket EFSA/FDA safety claim does not accurately describe them.
Does E552 contain allergens?
No known allergens are recorded for Calcium silicate.
Is E552 the same as E551 silicon dioxide?
No. The FSA names E552 calcium silicate and E551 silicon dioxide. Match the exact ingredient name and code; a source about E551 does not automatically establish an E552 safety conclusion.
Has EFSA assessed calcium silicate E552?
Yes. EFSA published a silicates opinion covering E552 on August 2, 2018, but found insufficient evidence to assess their safety. A July 31, 2026 talc data call describes a later update planned for E552 after talc; the call is not a completed E552 assessment. A missing local research link does not mean the ingredient has never been assessed.
What does the US 2% limit for calcium silicate mean?
21 CFR 172.410 requires an amount no greater than reasonably needed for anticaking, capped at 2% of the food by weight, with a 5% exception for baking powder. It is a food-formulation condition, not an amount a person should consume daily. Other countries and a particular product’s compliance need separate checks.
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This page shows information and classifications recorded in our ingredient database. Current scientific and market-specific verification remains pending as described above. It is general information, not medical advice.