When we hear the word ‘additive’, we immediately think ‘danger zone’! With growing consciousness around what we put into our bodies, labels that include ingredients such as additives, preservatives, colourants or anything with an ‘E’ followed by a bunch of numbers, are a definite no-no.
At Sally-Ann Creed, we advocate natural, preservative-free products with zero additives. However, when absolutely necessary, there is one preservative that Sally-Ann opts for as it is known to be the ‘lesser of all evils’. This preservative is known as silicon dioxide. Silicon dioxide sounds ominous but actually appears in nature – it can be found in plants, the earth’s crust and frequently within animals and humans. In the Supplement and Food industries, it is most commonly used as an anti-caking or flow agent, as well as a shelf-life enhancer.
In powdered blends that contain more than one ingredient, such as our Colla-Joint Plus, Collagel and Keto Sweet, each ingredient has a different particle size and varying hygroscopic levels. Environmental effects, such as changes in moisture and temperature levels, can adversely influence these products and convert them into a hard, compact mass. The addition of pirosil (our brand of silicon dioxide) helps prevent this from happening by modifying the surface characteristic of the particles to avoid caking, and allows the product to mix more evenly. Pirosil also helps to prolong the storage stability (shelf-life) of a ready packed product as it is able to absorb up to 3 times its weight in moisture, while retaining its ability to assist with the free flow of a product – without it, clumping can commence within a number of days making a product unviable for retail.
So, what is Pirosil and why should one consider it as a better alternative to other preservatives?
Silicon dioxide is found naturally around us, and produced for the Food and Supplement Industries via precipitation of silicate salts. The resultant white powder is a flavourless, odourless powder that is non-toxic to human beings and the environment, with no nutritional value and a neutral pH level.
Research shows that silicon dioxide does not accumulate in the body, and is excreted via our kidneys. It has also shown to have no effect on genotoxicity. This means that it does not cause any damage to DNA in the form of gene mutations or chromosomal damage, which can lead to the potential of cancer-causing cells.
We have sourced a GMO-free, WADA-substance-free (World Anti-doping Agency) silicon dioxide that is both Halaal and Kosher certified at source and suitable for vegans. The regulatory guidelines advise that the content of silicon dioxide should not exceed 2% of the total end product weight.
We believe in transparency and have listed our products that contain Pirosil and their respective % content below:
- Collagel: 0.64%
- Colla-Joint Plus: 0.35%
- Keto Sweet: 0.59%
- Skinny Collagen Soup: 0.39%
Where possible we always advocate that one opt for natural, additive-free products, but, when necessary, making an informed choice always comes out on top.
