E558 - Bentonite
Author: Victoria Aly
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
CHAPTERS (Table Of Contents)
Characteristics: Bentonite is a clay mineral of natural origin, its color is white, grayish or brown, there is no pronounced smell and taste. Food additive E 558 does not dissolve in water, o
Characteristic
Bentonite is a clay mineral of natural origin, its color is white, grayish or brown, there is no pronounced smell and taste. Food additive E 558 does not dissolve in water, bases, ethanol, weak acids. It is obtained from minerals. During hydration, the substance swells 14 - 16 times, in the conditions of limited space it turns into a gel with a dense consistency. Calcium bentonite has a lower degree of swelling than sodium bentonite. The food additive E 558 is non-toxic, it is chemically stable. This allows it to be used in various industries (food industry, construction, wine production, medicine).
Use
In the food industry the substance is used as a filtering agent, clarifying agent, flocculant, sorbent, filler. It is used in the production of wines, alcoholic beverages, juices, oils, sugar and starches. In the making of wines and juices E 558 acts as a clarifier. It is part of champagne, fruit and carbonated wines. In medicine it is used as a sterile solution in the form of a complex product with detoxifying action. It is prescribed for poisoning with lead, mercury, arsenic, cyanide and bromine salts. Also used in the treatment of psoriasis, allergic reactions, neuralgia, arthritis, scabies.
In the industry on the basis of the additive E 558 a drilling mud is made for processing of petroleum products. Bentonite is also involved in the technological production of ceramics. In agriculture, the additive is part of animal feed and fertilizers.
Impact on humans
Bentonite is a non-toxic natural substance. The maximum permissible human dose is not defined in the literature. It is believed that the consumption of foods containing the mineral does not affect human health in any way. Bentonite is characterized by a number of useful properties, thanks to which it is used in medicine. It relieves the condition of patients with psoriasis, arthritis, scabies, neuralgia, allergic reactions, poisoning with arsenic, lead, mercury, cyanide and bromine salts.