# Sand in my chili powder?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sand-in-my-chili-powder/120783>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 25, 2002, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sand-in-my-chili-powder/120783 "2002-07-25T16:07:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sand-in-my-chili-powder/120783/1 "2002-07-25T16:07:12Z")

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The store-bought chili powder I’ve been using says it contains **silicon dioxide** to “keep the powder free-flowing.”

Um, is sand safe to eat? At the very least, wouldn’t it be bad on your teeth?

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sand-in-my-chili-powder/120783/2 "2002-07-25T18:08:01Z")

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Most artificial sweeteners contain some sort of sand, too (I like to keep track of which brands use which sort of sand. Hey, everyone needs a hobby). It’s usually listed as an anti-caking agent, which means that it helps prevent the stuff forming big clumps (this is especially a concern with water-soluable poweders). The quantities are truely minute, though, and what little sand you actually do ingest this way will just pass right through you.

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**Author:** ![Starbury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Starbury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starbury)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sand-in-my-chili-powder/120783/3 "2002-07-25T18:16:28Z")

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Silicon Dioxide, a.k.a. sand, is added to other things you eat, like salt, and is put there because it is an anti-caking agent, which helps make products “free flowing”. Too much silicon can be poisonous – inhaling crystalline silica can lead to silicosis, a disabling, nonreversible and sometimes fatal lung disease. But noone’s ever developed this condition from eating silicon dioxide, the stuff you’re eating.

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sand-in-my-chili-powder/120783/4 "2002-07-25T18:23:43Z")

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The particles of silica used for anti-caking purposes are less than 20 microns in diameter, which is not even worthy of being called sand.

Dust, anyone?

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**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sand-in-my-chili-powder/120783/5 "2002-07-25T19:49:16Z")

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Interestingly, look on the ingredients list of your toothpaste for Hydrated Silica (pretty much wet sand). They use sand as an abrasive on your teeth.