We, the undersigned, hereby confirm that PERLITE is allowed to have contact with alimentary products (foodstuffs). This certificate is a confirmation of:
FOOD CHEMICALS CODES, 5. edition, (2003)
From
NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Washington DC.20418
stating:
PERLITE
“In its natural state, Perlite occurs as a dense, gray to brown , glassy volcanic rock consisting essentially of fused sodium potassium aluminium silicate plus 3% to 5% water. When fractured and heated at high temperature (900o to 1100oC) under proper conditions, it pops like popcorn (due to the presence of occluded water), expanding to 20 or more times its original volume. The expanded material is crushed to yield a white, nonhygroscopic powder having a bulk density of 32 to 400 kg/m3 (2 to 25 lb/ft3)and a particle size ranging from less than one to several hundred µm. It is in this latter expanded and powdered state that Perlite is used as a filter aid in food processing. Acceptable food-grade free-flowing agents such as sodium carbonate and sodium silicate may be added. The powder is slightly soluble in water and sparingly soluble in dilute acids and alkalies.
FUNCTIONAL USE IN FOODS: FILTER AID IN FOOD PROCESSING