About
What it is and where it shows up.
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a silicone-based polymer used primarily as an antifoaming and foam-suppressing agent in food processing. It is added to products such as fats and oils, juices, beer, and fried foods to prevent excessive foaming during manufacture.
Safety summary
The regulatory and scientific consensus.
PDMS is very poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and is excreted largely unchanged in the faeces. The EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (2020) established an updated ADI of 17 mg/kg body weight per day, replacing the older 1.5 mg/kg bw/day figure, and concluded there is no safety concern at reported use levels. Regulatory maximum residue levels in food typically do not exceed 10 mg/kg, ensuring actual dietary exposure remains well below the ADI.
Regulatory landscape
What food-safety regulators have decided.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Approved | Authorised under Annex II and Annex III of Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008; specifications defined in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012. ADI of 17 mg/kg bw/day established in 2020 EFSA re-evaluation, replacing the prior SCF 1990 ADI of 1.5 mg/kg bw/day. EFSA noted concern about heavy metal impurity limits (As, Pb, Hg) in EU specifications and recommended their revision.source |
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | Permitted as a processing aid (antifoaming agent) under FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, Appendix C, Table 1. Permitted in beer, fats & oils, vegetable protein, juices, potato processing, alcoholic beverages, and sugar processing at a maximum residual level of 10 mg/kg.source |
| JECFA (JECFA (FAO/WHO)) | Approved | JECFA first evaluated PDMS in 1969 and established an ADI of 0–1.5 mg/kg bw/day in 1974, based on a NOAEL of 150 mg/kg bw/day from a long-term rat study. JECFA INS number is 900a. This older ADI has since been superseded by the 2020 EFSA value of 17 mg/kg bw/day for EU purposes, but the JECFA value remains the international reference. General maximum level in foods is 10 mg/kg.source |
| FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States) | Approved | Listed in FDA's Substances Added to Food (formerly EAFUS) database and authorised as an indirect food additive in food contact materials under 21 CFR parts 175–178. FDA also requires control of silicone addition in food production processes. |
Who should approach with care
Whose guidance would steer them away.
Other — EFSA noted that EU specifications permit trace heavy metal impurities (arsenic up to 3 mg/kg, lead and mercury up to 1 mg/kg each) in food-grade PDMS, which may be relevant for individuals with impaired detoxification capacity or high cumulative heavy metal exposure; specification tightening was recommended.
Research citations
The sources behind this verdict.
- 1WHO. WHO JECFA Food Additives Database – Polydimethylsiloxane (chemID 2755). apps.who.int
- 2FSSAI. Appendix C – Active List of Processing Aids Allowed for Use by Food Business Operators (Version 1, 01.09.2023), 2023. fssai.gov.in
- 3PubMed. Considerations on the Analysis of E-900 Food Additive: An NMR Perspective, 2022. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4EFSA. Re-evaluation of dimethyl polysiloxane (E 900) as a food additive, 2020. efsa.europa.eu
- 5PubMed. Re-evaluation of dimethyl polysiloxane (E 900) as a food additive, 2020. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Independently researched5 citations