E554: Sodium Aluminium Silicate
Main role: carrying specified ingredients
Also listed as: sodium aluminosilicate, sodium silicoaluminate, aluminum sodium silicate
What is E554 (Sodium Aluminium Silicate)?
Sodium aluminium silicate is a specified mineral ingredient with limited food applications. Its carrier role and authorization should be checked separately from more broadly used anticaking agents such as silicon dioxide.
What does it do in food?
Its main role is carrying specified ingredients. Mineral ingredients can adjust acidity, firm a food, or keep powders flowing. A technical mineral ingredient does not establish a nutritional dose; use the nutrition declaration to assess amounts per serving.
Food and formulation examples
- Specified vitamin carriers
- Narrowly authorized ingredient preparations
These examples describe formulation roles, not a list of unrestricted legal uses. Availability and permitted applications differ by country and food category.
Label names and ingredient questions
Look for E554, E 554, or the ingredient name. Related names and label terms include sodium aluminosilicate, sodium silicoaluminate, aluminum sodium silicate. A family code can cover more than one specified form; check the full declaration when the distinction matters.
Historical lists may describe wider uses that no longer match a market's conditions. Consult the current authorization terms rather than treating an old anticaking description as blanket permission.
Is E554 safe?
There is no meaningful personal risk estimate from an E number alone. Food-grade specifications, allowed uses, amount consumed, and individual circumstances all matter. The authorization record below gives the legal scope; it is not a claim that every possible use is appropriate.
A label identifies the ingredient but usually not its concentration. Calculating daily intake requires the amount in the food and the quantities eaten.
Authorization and conditions of use
The Great Britain food additive register lists E554 as Sodium aluminium silicate. This is an entry subject to its stated conditions, not unrestricted permission for every food. The record links to the applicable authorization terms. For an EU product, use the European Commission food additive database to check the relevant food category and limits. Other countries may use different names or rules.