Magnesium trisilicate

Magnesium trisilicate is an inorganic compound that is used as a food additive. The additive is frequently used by fast food chains to absorb fatty acids and extract impurities formed while frying edible oils.^[1] It has good acid neutralizing properties, but the reaction appears too slow to serve as an effective non-prescription antacid.^[2]

Magnesium trisilicate

Structural formula of magnesium trisilicate
Names
Preferred IUPAC name Dimagnesium dioxido-bis[(oxido-oxosilyl)oxy]silane
Identifiers
CAS Number	14987-04-3 Y 39365-87-2 (monohydrate) Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image Interactive image
ChEMBL	ChEMBL2096633
ChemSpider	4470779 Y
DrugBank	DB09281
ECHA InfoCard	100.035.509
EC Number	239-076-7
PubChem CID	5311266
UNII	FML8G1U0Y3 Y C2E1CI501T (monohydrate) Y
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID50904706
InChI InChI=1S/2Mg.O8Si3/c;;1-9(2)7-11(5,6)8-10(3)4/q2*+2;-4 Key: GXGAKHNRMVGRPK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES [O-][Si](=O)O[Si]([O-])([O-])O[Si](=O)[O-].[Mg+2].[Mg+2] [Mg++].[Mg++].[O-][Si](=O)O[Si]([O-])([O-])O[Si]([O-])=O
Properties
Chemical formula	Mg2O8Si3
Molar mass	260.857 g·mol−1
Appearance	White crystals
Odor	Odourless
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Health effects

On March 12, 2007, Chinese health authorities halted the use of magnesium trisilicate at Shaanxi Province KFC franchises, suspecting it to be a possible carcinogen.^[3] As a response, China's Ministry of Health conducted tests at six outlets of KFC.^[4] The results showed chemicals in the cooking process at KFC restaurants in the country were not harmful.^[5] The Ministry of Health said tests showed that using the product to filter cooking oil had no apparent impact on health. Food scares regularly sweep the Chinese media.^[6]