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Flow Aids and Anti-Caking Agents for the Food Industry | Silicon-Based Product Solutions by Zhongqi (Shandong) Silicon Materials Co., Ltd.
Created on 03.29
Flow Aids and Anti-Caking Agents for the Food Industry | Silicon-Based Product Solutions by Zhongqi (Shandong) Silicon Materials Co., Ltd.
Zhongqi (Shandong) Silicon Materials Co., Ltd. is a dedicated industry expert in silicon-based materials for the global food manufacturing sector. We specialize in the research, development, and production of food-grade silicon dioxide (silica) and silicate product series, engineered to resolve the core pain points of powdered food products across the full value chain – from production, processing, and metering to storage and end-use. Our solutions effectively eliminate persistent issues such as caking, agglomeration, and poor powder flowability, delivering high-efficiency, cost-effective, and sustainable powder modification solutions for food manufacturers worldwide. To date, we have supported hundreds of customers in achieving production quality improvement, cost reduction, and efficiency gains.
Nearly 80% of ingredients in food processing undergo a drying step. Fine-particle, viscous, or hygroscopic powders – such as fruit powder, table salt, plant extracts, and spices – frequently suffer from poor flowability and caking. These issues lead to inaccurate metering, product loss, high equipment cleaning costs, and unnecessary resource waste. Our ZLCSIL, ZLSIL, and ZQSIL series of food-grade silicon-based products deliver comprehensive value for both manufacturing operations and end consumers:
• Enhances powder flowability and reduces caking tendency, enabling precise metering and consistent product quality
• Minimizes non-conforming products, food waste, and production loss, while extending shelf stability
Cuts equipment cleaning downtime and reduces consumption of water, electricity, and other cleaning resources
• Boosts production efficiency, lowers overall operating costs, and improves sustainability across the entire value chain
• Adheres strictly to premium food-grade silica quality standards to guarantee production safety
• Enhanced convenience: Accurate powder dosing with zero caking, superior dispersibility of instant food powders, and uninterrupted 24/7 operation of vending machines
• Improved sustainability: Extended product shelf life, reduced food waste and production wastewater, and lower production downtime losses
• Professional nutritional assurance: Precise metering of active ingredients and nutrients in dietary supplements, ensuring effective utilization of multiple active components
Our food-grade silicon dioxide and silicate products solve powder caking and agglomeration challenges through four core mechanisms:
1. Coating the surface of powder particles to reduce interparticle interactions
2. Dispersing and isolating individual particles to block interparticle adhesion
3. Absorbing ambient and surface moisture to prevent liquid bridging between particles
4. Absorbing fats and oils to eliminate non-aqueous interparticle bridging
Powdered raw materials such as spices, fruit powders, and table salt rely on automated metering systems. Poor flowability directly causes uneven dosing and non-compliant finished product quality. Our ZLCSIL, ZLSIL, and ZQSIL series coat powder particles, isolate individual grains, and adsorb surface moisture and oils, drastically reducing material viscosity. The ZLCSIL series also preserves the original color of the product, enabling highly precise and stable metering for continuous production.
Spray drying is widely used in the production of plant powders, whey powder, egg powder, coffee powder, and more. A common pain point is frequent caking on the inner walls of the spray tower, which requires time-consuming and costly cleaning. By adding our ZLCSIL, ZLSIL, and ZQSIL products directly into the spray tower (dosed separately from the slurry), manufacturers can effectively reduce caking, eliminate extra mixing steps, boost production efficiency, and cut cleaning downtime and resource waste – making it a high-efficiency solution to reduce food loss.
During the grinding of spices and low-melting-point food powders, released moisture and oils often cause equipment adhesion, product caking, and line blockages. Our silicon-based products instantly adsorb liquids released during the grinding process, maintaining a clean grinding chamber, reducing cleaning frequency, and increasing grinding output and process stability. Compatible with hammer mills, pin mills, and other common grinding equipment, our products can be added directly to the mill, or integrated into pre-mixing or post-mixing processes.
Temperature and humidity fluctuations during global storage and transportation of food raw materials are a leading cause of powder caking. The addition of our ZLCSIL, ZLSIL, and ZQSIL products effectively inhibits agglomeration, ensuring consistent product quality for global supply chains.
Consumer-facing powdered products such as ready-to-drink beverage powders and soup powders require free-flowing, non-caking, and easily dispersible properties. Powders in vending machines are also prone to caking from long-term exposure to steam. The high adsorption capacity of our Zhongqi silicon materials maintains optimal powder flowability, reducing food waste at the consumer end.
1. Our food-grade silicon-based products require thorough mixing with food powder raw materials. We recommend using precision metering equipment to ensure uniform dispersion.
2. Matching the correct particle size of anti-caking agent minimizes dust generation: excessively large particle sizes fail to adhere to carrier particles and may cause dust, while over-dosing beyond the surface coating requirement can also lead to dust issues.
3. For most application scenarios, products can be added directly into drying equipment to ensure sufficient contact with the base material.
The table below outlines our product recommendations for mainstream applications in the food industry.
1. = Recommended
++ = Highly Recommended
For product availability in specific regions, please consult our team.
Product Model | Baking Powder | Brewer’s Yeast | Cane Sugar | Milk Powder | Beverage Blends | Emulsifiers | Hydrolyzed Protein Powder | Icing Sugar | Instant Soups & Broths | Non-Dairy Creamer | Nutritional Supplements | Egg Powder | Table Salt | Spices & Seasonings | Sugar Alternatives | Tomato Powder |
ZLCSIL 200 F | + | + | ++ | + | + | + | + | + | ||||||||
ZLCSIL 380 F | + | ++ |
||||||||||||||
ZLSIL 22 S / ZLSIL 22 S F | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | ++ | + | ++ | ||||||
ZLSIL 25 | + | + | + | + | ++ | + | ||||||||||
ZLSIL 340 | + | + | + | + | + | |||||||||||
ZLSIL 350 | ++ | ++ | + | + | ||||||||||||
ZLSIL 50 S | + | + | + | + | ++ | + | + | + | ++ | + | ++ | ++ | ++ |
|||
ZLSIL 37 | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | |||||
ZLSIL 45 S | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | ++ | + |
||||
ZLSIL 680 | + | ++ | + | |||||||||||||
ZLSIL 28 | + | + | ++ | ++ | + | + | ++ | + | + | + | + | + | + |
|||
ZQSIL 80 | + | + | + | + | + | + | ++ | + | + | |||||||
ZQSIL 5162 / ZQSIL 5162 Q | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | + | ++ | + | ++ | |||||
ZLSIL 823 D | + | + | + | + | ++ | + | ||||||||||
ZLSIL 807 | + | + | + | + | ++ | + |
2. Deep Industry Expertise: Two decades of specialized experience solving food powder caking and agglomeration challenges, with extensive practical application know-how.
3. High-Performance Product Portfolio: A full range of silicon dioxide and silicate products exclusively developed for food powder applications, covering diverse scenario requirements.
4. Customized Application Support: A dedicated food technology laboratory provides customized development services to match the unique needs of each customer.
5. Strict Quality Control: Our production base is ISO certified, with full compliance with HACCP and GMP good manufacturing practices.
1. Global Supply Assurance: A global manufacturing and distribution network ensures stable and reliable delivery to customers worldwide.
Our food-grade silicon-based products meet the world’s leading food safety standards and hold multiple authoritative certifications:
2. China Compliance: Compliant with GB 25576-2020 and GB 2760-2014 national food safety standards for food additives, approved for use as a food additive in China.
3. EU Compliance: Multiple hydrophilic products are approved as food additive E 551 (silicon dioxide), compliant with EU regulations 231/2012, 1333/2008, 852/2004, and HACCP production principles.
4. US Compliance: Meets the requirements of U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 21CFR §172.480 (silicon dioxide), complies with the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC 12) and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), with silicon dioxide granted GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.
5. International Standards: Aligns with JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) monograph standards for silicon dioxide (INS 551). Our production base holds FSSC 22000 certification, recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).
6. System Certifications: Our full production line implements the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s General Hygiene Practices (GHPs) and HACCP system, covering food defense and food fraud mitigation controls.
6. Specialized Certifications: Kosher and Halal certification documents are available upon request, with customized production available in line with HACCP standards.
Our specialty food-grade silicon-based products are available in global markets including China, the rest of Asia, North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. For region-specific flagship products, please consult our local sales representatives. Specialized products adapted for the Japanese market are also available.
Zhongqi (Shandong) Silicon Materials Co., Ltd. Specialized in R&D, production and sales of high-end food & pharmaceutical excipient grade silica. Core brands: ZLSIL™, ZLXIDE™, ZLCSIL™. Products meet global food-grade standards, providing compliant high-performance formulation solutions for global food & pharma enterprises.
Full-process technical support & customized services available from our headquarters and production base.
Contact: Tel +86 53188737397 | Email Levin@silicaplant.com
Technical docs & application support available on request.
Disclaimer
All information herein and published content is for reference only, with no warranty of accuracy or completeness. No warranty is given for product use results. We accept no liability for improper product use or information reliance. We reserve the right to adjust product prices & specifications without notice. For infringement issues, contact us for removal.
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