I-silica yesiqinisekiso sokudla, eyaziwa nangokuthi ikhodi yayo eyengeziwe ethi E 551, iyisithako esibalulekile esisetshenziswa kabanzi embonini yokudla ukuthuthukisa ikhwalithi nokuphepha komkhiqizo. Njengesengezo sokudla, indima yayo eyinhloko ukusebenza njenge-agent yokuvimbela ukuminyana, ukuvimbela ukuminyana nokqinisekisa ukuthungwa okungaguquki nokugeleza emikhiqizweni yokudla eyimpuphu neyigranulated. Ukubaluleka kwe-silica ekukhiqizweni kokudla kukhule kakhulu ngenxa yokwanda kwesidingo sezithako zokudla ezithembekile ezigcina ubuqotho bomkhiqizo phakathi nokugcinwa nokusingathwa. Lesi sihloko sihlinzeka ngokubuyekezwa okuphelele kwephrofayili yokuphepha kwe-silica yesiqinisekiso sokudla, isizinda sezomthetho, nezinzuzo zayo ezisebenzayo kubakhiqizi nabathengi ngokufanayo.

Kubantu abenza ibhizinisi emkhakheni wokukhiqiza ukudla, ukuqonda izici kanye nemithetho ehlobene ne-E 551 kubalulekile ukuze kuhambisane nemithetho nokwenza izinto ezintsha. Ukusetshenziswa kwe-silica njengesinqamuli sokudla kusiza ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ukudla kuhlala isikhathi eside futhi kwandise ukwaneliseka kwabathengi ngokugcina izici ezifisayo zemikhiqizo yokudla. Njengomphakeli ochwepheshe, iShandong Zhonglian Chemical Co., Ltd. inikeza imikhiqizo ye-silica esezingeni eliphezulu esezingeni lokudla ehlangabezana namazinga aphesheya okuphepha, isekela abakhiqizi ngezinto zokusetshenziswa ezithembekile.

I-silica yesiqinisi sokudla (E 551) iyifomu ye-silicon dioxide, umaminerali otholakala ngokwemvelo ocwengwe ukuze uthole ukungaguquguquki okuhle, okuyimpuphu. Ivamise ukufakwa ezimweni zokudla ukuze isebenze njenge-agent yokuvimbela ukubambana—lo msebenzi uvimbela ukuhlanganiswa kwezinhlayiya ezintweni eziyimpuphu, okungenzeka kubangele ukuxubana okungalingani kanye nekhwalithi yomkhiqizo eyonakele. Ngaphandle kokuvimbela ukubambana, i-silica iphinde iqinise ama-emulsion nama-suspension, ithuthukise ukuthungwa kanye nokubukeka kwezinto ezahlukahlukene zokudla.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-silica yokuhlanganisa ukudla ithuthukisa ukuhamba kwezithako ezomile, okubalulekile emgqeni wokupakisha nokucubungula ngokuzenzakalelayo. Imvelo yayo engasebenzi kusho ukuthi ayisabelani ngokwemvelo nezinye izithako, okwenza kube isengezo esisebenzayo nesiphephile. Izicelo ezijwayelekile zihlanganisa amasobho ayimpuphu, izinongo, ukhilimu wekhofi, kanye nezingxube zeziphuzo eziyimpuphu. Ukufaka i-silica kuqinisekisa ukuthi le mikhiqizo ihlala ihamba kalula futhi kulula ukuyisebenzisa, okuthinta ngqo ulwazi lomthengi.

I-European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) iye yahlola ngokomlando ukuphepha kwezithako zokudla ngokuhlola okunzulu kwesayensi. Isiqinisi sokudla i-silica (E 551) siye sabuyekezwa ngokuphelele ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuphepha kwayo ekudleni kwabantu. Ukuhlolwa kokuqala kuqinisekise ukuthi i-E 551 ayibeki ubungozi obukhulu empilweni uma isetshenziswa ngaphakathi kwemingcele echaziwe, okuholele ekugunyazweni kwayo njengesithako sokudla e-European Union nakwezinye izimakethe zomhlaba.

Lezi zilinganiso zithathele ukubhekwa amazinga okuvezwa, idatha ye-toxicological, nanoma yikuphi ukubuthana okungenzeka emzimbeni. Uhlaka lokulawula lwe-EFSA luqinisekisa ukuthi izithako ezifana ne-silica yokuhlanganisa ukudla ziyahambisana nezimiso eziqinile zokuphepha, kusiza abakhiqizi ukuthi bagcine ukwethembeka kwabathengi kanye nokuhambisana nemithetho. Umlando walezi zilinganiso ubonisa isimo sokuphepha esisungulwe kahle kwesithako, ukusekela ukusetshenziswa kwaso njalo ekukhiqizeni ukudla.

Izivivinyo zakamuva ze-EFSA zibuyekeze ukuphepha kwe-silica esetshenziswa njengesinzinzi ekudleni ngemininingwane yesayensi ebuyekeziwe, okubandakanya ucwaningo olusha ngokuphathwa kwayo emzimbeni nemiphumela kumaqembu athambile njengezinsana. Imiphumela yakamuva iqinisekisa ukuthi izinhlayiya ze-silica azisebenzi kakhulu futhi azimuncwa kakhulu ohlelweni lokugaya ukudla, ngaphandle kobufakazi bokuthi ziyingozi ezingeni lokusetshenziswa kwamanje.

Nokho, i-EFSA incoma ukucophelela ekusebenziseni i-E 551 ekudleni kwezinsana ngenxa yedatha elinganiselwe ngqo kuleli qembu labantu. Lesi sikhundla sokucophelela sihlose ukuqinisekisa ukuthi imingcele yokuphepha ihlala ivikela bonke abathengi, ikakhulukazi labo abanezinhlelo ezisathuthuka. Abakhiqizi bokudla bayakhuthazwa ukuthi baqaphe ucwaningo oluqhubekayo nezibuyekezo zemithetho ukuze bahambisane nokwakheka kwemikhiqizo namazinga aphephile akamuva.

Indlela yokubuyekezwa kwezokuphepha ye-EFSA ihlanganisa indlela ephelele yokuqoqa idatha ehlanganisa izethulo zemboni, ukubuyekezwa kwezincwadi zesayensi, kanye nezifundo ze-toxicological. I-EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings ihlola ngokuqondile ukuchayeka okuphelele ekudleni, izici ze-physicochemical, kanye nemiphumela yezempilo engaba khona yezithako ezifana ne-E 551.

Le nqubo esobala futhi esekelwe ebufakazini ivumela i-EFSA ukuthi inikeze izincomo eziqinile zesayensi ngamazinga okusetshenziswa avunyelwe kanye nezidingo zokulebula. Ukubambisana nababambiqhaza, okubandakanya abakhiqizi abafana neShandong Zhonglian Chemical Co., Ltd., kuqinisekisa ukuthi idatha ibonisa izimo zokusebenzisa zangempela, okuqhubeka nokuqinisa ukwethembeka kokuhlola kwezokuphepha.

Ukuqonda okubalulekile okuvela ezingxoxweni ze-EFSA ukuthi i-silica yokuhlanganisa ukudla ayimuncwa kakhulu egazini lomuntu, okubonisa ukuthi ayitholakali kalula emzimbeni. Lesi sici siqinisekisa ukuphepha kwayo njengesengezo, njengoba ingaqongeleli ezicubeni zomzimba. Izifundo ze-toxicological ziqinisekisa ukuthi ngisho namazinga adlula ajwayelekile okudliwayo, i-silica ayibonisi imiphumela enobungozi.

Lezi zitholakaliso ziqiniswa ukuthi i-silicon dioxide ayisebenzi, ihlala izinzile ngokwemvelo kuyo yonke inqubo yokugaya. Ngenxa yalokho, i-silica yokuhlanganisa ukudla ithathwa njengephephile ukusetshenziswa ngokujwayelekile, iqhakambisa indima yayo ekuthuthukiseni ikhwalithi yomkhiqizo ngaphandle kokubeka impilo yabathengi engozini.

Ngokusekelwe kudatha ephelele yokuphepha, i-EFSA ihlinzeka ngezincomo ezicacile zezikhundla eziphakeme ezivunyelwe zesiphazamisi sokudla i-silica ezindaweni ezahlukene zokudla. Abakhiqizi bokudla kufanele bahambisane ngokuqinile nale mikhawulo ukuze baqinisekise ukuhambisana nokugcina ukuphepha kwabathengi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuyanconywa ukuthi kugwenywe noma kukhawulwe ukusetshenziswa kwe-E 551 kumafomula ezinsana kuze kube yilapho kutholakala eminye idatha yokuphepha.

Izinguquko emithethweni zingase zidingeke ukuze zibonise lezi zincomo futhi zifake izimfuno ezibuyekeziwe zokulebula. Abakhiqizi, okubalwa labo abathola izinto kubahlinzeki abahlonishwa njengoShandong Zhonglian Chemical Co., Ltd., bayakhuthazwa ukuthi bahlale benolwazi ngezinguquko emithethweni ukuze kugcinwe ukuthengiswa komkhiqizo nokwethenjwa ngabathengi.

Ukusetshenziswa kwe-silica yokuhlanganisa ukudla kuthinta imboni yokukhiqiza ukudla ngendlela enhle ngokuthuthukisa ukungaguquguquki komkhiqizo, isikhathi sokuhlala eshalofini, kanye nokulula kokuphatha. Ngokuvimbela ukubambana nokuhlanganiswa, kunciphisa ukuchitha futhi kuqinisekisa ukuthi imikhiqizo ihlangabezana nokulindelekile kwekhwalithi kusukela ekukhiqizeni kuya ekudleni. Lesi sengezo futhi senza lula ukucubungula okuzenzakalelayo, kunciphisa izindleko zabasebenzi nokwandisa ukusebenza kahle.

I-Shandong Zhonglian Chemical Co., Ltd. inikeza imikhiqizo ye-silica esezingeni eliphezulu yokudla ehlangabezana nezitifiketi zamazwe ngamazwe, okuhlanganisa namazinga e-ISO9001 kanye ne-Halal, okwenza ibe umlingani omethembayo kubakhiqizi abahloswe ukuthuthukisa ikhwalidadthi nokuphepha komkhiqizo. Ukuzibophezela kwabo ekuqambeni izinto ezintsha nasekulawuleni ikhwalidadthi kusekela izidingo eziguqukayo zemboni yokudla.

Ngokuphetha, i-silica yokudla (E 551) ihlala iyisengezo esiphephile nesibalulekile ekukhiqizeni ukudla uma isetshenziswa ngokwemihlahlandlela yokulawula esungulwe. Indima yayo njenge-anticaking agent ithuthukisa ikhwalidadthi yomkhiqizo, ukuzinza, kanye nokwaneliseka komthengi. Ukuthobela ukuhlolwa kwe-EFSA nokuncoma kuqinisekisa ukuthi abakhiqizi bangafaka i-silica ezifomeni zabo ngokuzethemba.

Amabhizinisi afuna imikhiqizo ye-silica ethembekile, esezingeni eliphezulu, iShandong Zhonglian Chemical Co., Ltd. iyimithombo ehamba phambili, ihlanganisa amakhono okukhiqiza athuthukile namazinga okuphepha aqinile. Ukuhlola uhla lwemikhiqizo yabo futhi ufunde kabanzi ngobuchwepheshe babo, vakashela i-Imikhiqizo ikhasi noma thola isizinda senkampani ku-Mayelana Nathi ikhasi.