E560 - Potassium silicate

At a glance

• Also known as E560; a silicate salt that is strongly alkaline.
• Used sparingly in foods; roles can include acidity regulation and helping powders resist clumping.
• Authorized in the European Union with official identity and purity specifications; use conditions are defined by law.¹²
• On labels: “Potassium silicate” or “E560.”

Why is Potassium silicate added to food?

Manufacturers use potassium silicate because it is alkaline and helps control pH (acidity). In some applications, silicates can also help powders flow better by managing moisture. The Codex Alimentarius (a global food standards program by FAO/WHO) lists potassium silicate as a food additive and recognizes functions that include acidity regulation, with uses subject to the GSFA (General Standard for Food Additives).³ In the EU, it has official additive specifications as “E 560,” and any permitted uses and limits are set out in EU additive legislation.¹²

What foods contain Potassium silicate?

You won’t see potassium silicate often. When used, it tends to appear in niche or highly specific applications rather than everyday grocery items. If it is present, the ingredient list will show “potassium silicate” or “E560” (in the EU).²

What can replace Potassium silicate?

Depending on the job it needs to do, formulators might consider:

• For anti-caking or flow in powders: silicon dioxide, calcium silicate, or talc.
• For pH control: acids such as citric acid or phosphoric acid, or bases such as potassium hydroxide.
• For other silicate-related roles: sodium silicate or potassium aluminium silicate, where regulations allow.

The best substitute depends on the food, target pH, taste impact, and local regulations.

How is Potassium silicate made?

Industrial producers typically react purified silica (silicon dioxide) with a potassium source (often potassium hydroxide) under heat to form potassium silicate, which is then dissolved and standardized into aqueous solutions of defined composition. The result is a family of alkaline silicate salts described by their ratios of potassium oxide (K2O) to silica (SiO2). EU specifications define the identity and purity requirements for food-grade material sold as E560.¹

Is Potassium silicate safe to eat?

In the European Union, potassium silicate has an official specification as food additive E560, meaning any use must meet strict identity and purity criteria and comply with authorized food categories and levels where permitted.¹² Safety assessments of related silicates used in foods (for example, silicon dioxide, E551) have not identified safety concerns at authorized uses, which helps explain why silicate-type additives are permitted when used within legal limits.⁴ Always check the current legislation in your country, because permissions and maximum levels can differ.²³

Does Potassium silicate have any benefits?

• Processing benefit: helps manage acidity and moisture-driven clumping in certain formulations.
• Label clarity: when present, it appears by name or as “E560” in the EU, making it easy to spot for people who track additives.²
• No direct nutritional benefit: it is used for function, not as a nutrient source.

Who should avoid Potassium silicate?

• People under medical advice to strictly limit potassium intake (for example, some kidney patients) should review all potential potassium sources with their clinician, including additives in processed foods.
• Anyone with a known sensitivity to silicate-containing products should avoid it.
• As with any additive, individuals following a personal “no-additives” approach will want to steer clear.

Myths & facts

• Myth: Potassium silicate is the same as the “silica gel” packets in shoe boxes. Fact: Those packets usually contain silica gel (amorphous silicon dioxide), not potassium silicate, and they are not food additives.
• Myth: All silicates are interchangeable in recipes. Fact: Different silicates (e.g., E551, E552, E553b, E560) have different properties, purity specs, and permitted uses.
• Myth: If it’s allowed, it must be common. Fact: E560 is authorized with specifications in the EU but is relatively uncommon compared to alternatives like silicon dioxide.¹²⁴

Potassium silicate in branded foods

Public product labels are the best way to check. If a product uses this additive in the EU, its ingredient list should read “potassium silicate” or “E560.”² Because there are many effective alternatives, most brands rely on other anti-caking agents or acidity regulators instead.

References

Footnotes

1. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 — Specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2012/231/oj ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 — Food additives (framework and Union list, as amended). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2008/1333/oj ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

3. Potassium silicate (INS 560) — Codex GSFA listing and functions (FAO/WHO). http://www.fao.org/gsfaonline/additives/details.html?id=560 ↩ ↩²

4. Re-evaluation of silicon dioxide (E 551) as a food additive — EFSA Journal. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/5088 ↩ ↩²