Njengoba imboni yokudla yomhlaba wonke ithuthukela ekwakhiweni okucolisisiwe, isikhathi sokuphila esandisiwe kanye nokuzinza okuphezulu, izithako zokudla ezisebenzayo ziyaqhubeka nokukhula ngenani lezimboni. Njengenye yezinto ezisetshenziswa kakhulu zokuvimbela ukunqwabelana ezinhlelweni zokudla okuyimpuphu, i-silicon dioxide yezinga lokudla inesikhundla esingashintsheki kuma-condiments, iziphuzo eziqinile, izithako zokudla kanye nokudla okulungisiwe, ngenxa yezakhiwo zayo eziqinile zekhemikhali nomzimba kanye nobufakazi bokuphepha obamukelwa umhlaba wonke. Okwamanje, imibono eyiphutha mayelana ne-silica yezinga lokudla isaqhubeka phakathi kwabathengi nabaqalayo embonini. Ukucacisa izakhiwo zayo, imingcele yokusetshenziswa kanye nephrofayili yokuphepha sekuyinto ebalulekile emkhakheni wonke wokuhlinzeka ngokudla.

I-Silicon dioxide (SiO₂) ingenye yezinto ezingaphili eziningi kakhulu ogwini lomhlaba, eyenzeka ngokwemvelo ku-quartz, sandstone, diatoms nezinye izimbiwa nemithombo yezinto eziphilayo. Ngokusekelwe ekwakhekeni kwe-athomu, ihlukaniswa ngezigaba ezinokwakheka kwekristalu nezingenakho ukwakheka kwekristalu, ezinezimo zokusetshenziswa nezici zokuphepha ezihluke ngokuphelele.

I-crystalline silicon dioxide inesakhiwo se-lattice esijwayelekile, emelwa i-quartz ne-cristobalite, futhi isetshenziswa kakhulu ezintweni zokwakha, kwi-ceramics nakuma-semiconductors. Ngokuphambene, i-silicon dioxide esetshenziswa ekudleni icishe ibe yi-amorphous kuphela, kuhlanganise nezinhlobo ezine eziyinhloko: i-precipitated silica, i-fumed silica, i-silica gel ne-colloidal silica. Zikhiqizwa ngezinqubo zokuhlanza zokwenziwa, le mikhiqizo engeyona i-crystalline inezikhala eziningi kanye nendawo ebanzi yokuxhumana, okubenza bafanelekele imisebenzi yokuvimbela ukunqwabelana nokuzinza komswakama ezimpushaneni. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinhlobo ezihlelekile ezifana ne-mesoporous silica ziyavela njengento egxilwe kuyo ocwaningweni, futhi izakhiwo zazo zokuthwala ezinezikhala zikhombisa amandla okukhululwa okulawulwayo kwezithako ezisebenzayo emikhiqizweni yokudla okunempilo.

Izinzuzo eziyisisekelo ze-silica yezinga lokudla zisekutholeni kwayo ukungasebenzi kahle kwamakhemikhali okunamandla kanye nokuzinza okuphezulu kokushisa: ayivamisile ukusabela namashidi, izisekelo noma ama-matrix okudla ezingeni lokushisa elijwayelekile, futhi ayonakali ngaphansi kwamazinga okushisa okucubungula okudla ajwayelekile. Ilethela izinzuzo ezisebenzayo ngaphandle kokushintsha ukunambitheka kwasekuqaleni noma ukwakheka kwezakhi zokudla.

Ukuphepha kwe-silicon dioxide ekudleni sekuqinisekisiwe kudala futhi kwamukelwa ngokusemthethweni yizinhlangano eziphezulu zokulawula emhlabeni jikelele. I-U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) isikhathi eside iyihlukanisa njenge-Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS), ivumela ukusetshenziswa kwayo ngokusemthethweni ekudleni okuhlukahlukene ngaphakathi kwemikhawulo ebekiwe. I-European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) nayo iyivuma njengesengezo sokudla, nemihlahlandlela eqinile yokudla okwamukelekayo kwansuku zonke ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuvikelwa kwabathengi. E-China, i-silicon dioxide yezinga lokudla ihambisana nezinga likazwelonke lokuphepha kokudla i-GB 25576-2010, elibeka izidingo eziyisibopho zokuhlanzeka, imikhawulo yensimbi esindayo kanye nezindawo zokusetshenziswa ezivunyelwe.

Mayelana nokugayeka komzimba womuntu, i-silicon dioxide yezinga lokudla ayimuncwa noma kanjani yisisu namathumbu ngemva kokudliwa futhi ikhishwa ingashintshile endle, ngakho ayinabo ubungozi bokuqongeleleka emzimbeni. Kubalulekile ukuhlukanisa lokhu nezingozi zezempilo ezaziwayo zothuli lwe-silica, okubhekisela kuphela ezingozini zokuphefumula emsebenzini ezibangelwa ukuhogela isikhathi eside uthuli lwe-crystalline silica olugxilile ezindaweni zezimboni. Indlela yokuchayeka, uhlobo lomkhiqizo kanye nezinga lokuhlanzeka kuhluke ngokuphelele kwi-silica yezinga lokudla, futhi lezi ezimbili akumele zihlanganiswe. I-silicon dioxide yezinga lokudla efanelekile idlula izinyathelo eziningi zokuhlanza ukuze kususwe izinsimbi ezisindayo nokungcola, futhi ihlangabezana ngokugcwele nezidingo zokuphepha kokudla.

Embonini yokudla, umsebenzi oyinhloko we-silicon dioxide njenge-anti-caking agent, ukuxazulula inkinga ejwayelekile yemboni yokunqwabelana kokudla okuyimpuphu nokuyizingcezu okubangelwa umswakama. Iqinisekisa ukuhamba okungaguquki nokufana kwezinto kukho konke ukukhiqizwa, ukuthuthwa nokugcinwa. Njengoba izigaba zokudla ziqhubeka nokwanda, imingcele yokusetshenziswa kwayo iyaqhubeka nokukhula:

Imibono emibili eyiphutha ejwayelekile mayelana ne-silicon dioxide yezinga lokudla isaqhubeka nokuba khona kakhulu emakethe yabathengi. Okokuqala, izingozi zezempilo zothuli lwe-silica lwezimboni zivame ukudluliselwa kuzithako zokudla. Abathengi bahlobanisa igama elithi "silicon dioxide" namaminerali nezinto zokusetshenziswa zasezimbonini, okubangela ukukhathazeka okungadingekile ngokuphepha kuyilapho bekhohlwa umehluko oyisisekelo ezinqubweni zokuhlanza, izimo zokusetshenziswa kanye nezindlela zokuchayeka. Okwesibili, ukulebula kuvame ukuhunyushwa kabi: "silicon dioxide" okusohlwini lwezithako iyinto efanayo ebizwa ngokwejwayelekile ngokuthi i-silica powder noma i-silicon tetroxide, futhi ihambisana nemithetho kazwelonke yokulebula kwezithako zokudla.

Ukuze kubhekane nalokhu, abakhiqizi bokudla nabahlinzeki bezinto zokusetshenziswa basheshisa ukuxhumana kwesayensi, ngokudalulwa kwezithako okusobala nolwazi lokuhambisana nomthetho ukusiza abathengi namakhasimende e-B2B bakhe ukuqonda kwesayensi ngezithako zokudla futhi bagweme ukukhathazeka okungadingekile okubangelwa izikhala zolwazi.

Njengoba imboni yokudla yaseChina isheshisa ukwanda kwayo emhlabeni wonke, abakhiqizi basekhaya be-silicon dioxide nabo bathuthukisa izinga lomkhiqizo futhi bakha ubukhona emhlabeni wonke. Inhloko-dawubu yayo iseShandong, eChina, iZhonglian Chemical ingumkhiqizi ohamba phambili ogxile ocwaningweni nasekukhiqizeni izinhlobo eziningi ze-silicon dioxide, okuhlanganisa nezinga lokudla, i-nano-grade, i-fumed kanye ne-colloidal silica. Ngokusekelwa izinhlelo eziqinile zokulawula izinga kanye nokutshalwa kwezimali okuqhubekayo ocwaningweni, imikhiqizo yayo ithole izitifiketi eziningi ezisemthethweni zamazwe ngamazwe futhi ihlinzekwa ngobuningi e-EU, eNyakatho Melika, eNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia nakwezinye izimakethe zomhlaba wonke, ikhonza amakhasimende emikhakheni yokudla, yemithi, yokunakekelwa komuntu siqu neminye imikhakha.

Ochwepheshe bomkhakha baphawula ukuthi isidingo se-silicon dioxide yezinga lokudla sizokhula ngokuzinza kanye nokwanda okuqhubekayo kwemikhakha esafufusa efana nokudla okusebenzayo, ukudla okulungiselelwe kanye nokudla okwenzelwe izinjongo zezempilo ezikhethekile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, imboni izoqhubeka nokuqhubekisela phambili izinqubo zokukhiqiza eziluhlaza nezicwengisisiwe futhi ithuthukise imikhiqizo eyenziwe ngokwezifiso eminingi elungiselelwe izinhlanganisela zokudla ezikhethekile. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukuxhumana okusebenzayo nabathengi kuzosiza izithako zokudla ezihambisana nemithetho, eziphephile futhi ezenani eliphezulu ukuthi zisekele kangcono ukuthuthukiswa kwekhwalithi nokuthuthukiswa okusezingeni eliphezulu komboni wokudla.