What on Earth is Fossil Shell Flour®?

Fossil Shell Four® is Perma Guard's registered product commonly called Diatomaceous Earth. It is important for reasons listed later to differentiate this product from all other diatomaceous earth products in the marketplace. Perma Guard's diatomaceous earth is milled at a consistency much like flour and is a fossilized shell (diatom) hence the name Fossil Shell Flour® (see technical data sheet).

What is Diatomaceous Earth?

Diatomaceous Earth (see wikipedia) is composed of the microscopic skeletons of diatoms (see wikipedia) which thrived in prehistoric lakes. As these diatoms died, they sank to the lake bottom, where, over eons, their skeletons were compacted into the product now called Diatomaceous Earth (or short DE).

DE used in horticulture is from fresh water diatoms, not to be confused with the salt water diatoms used to make swimming pool filter material.

Deposits have been mined for centuries and have been used in hundreds of industrial and agricultural applications.

There are two primary types of diatomaceous earth deposits - saltwater and freshwater.

Saltwater DE

is commercially processed in the United States, primarily application as a filter aid.

Beer, wine, fruit juices, and vegetable oils are filtered through the diatoms' multitude of pores, acting as microscopic sieves.

Swimming pool and fish tank filters also utilize this material.

Because saltwater DE has a high crystalline silica content from a process called calcining (being exposed to high degrees of heat), it is not appropriate, and in fact dangerous to use in ingestible applications such as grain storage and as an animal feed additive and can damage the lungs if inhaled. It contains many sharp points which can become permanently lodged in the airways.

Freshwater DE

is mined from ancient lakebeds, primarily in Nevada and Arizona, and is ideal for agricultural uses because it typically has a low crystalline silica content (amorphous), and is highly absorptive.

Documented use of diatomite by the Chinese for pest control dates back almost 4,000 years.  Because of its ability to kill insects, freshwater DE has been used in grain storage for generations.

As awareness of and concern about chemical pesticides grow, non-toxic, natural, diatomaceous earth is enjoying renewed attention and interest.  As well, many farmers and ranchers tout DE as a neutral anthelmentic (de-wormer), and are finding great success by adding it to their livestock feed to keep their goats, sheep, cattle, horses, pigs, and fowl healthy and clean without the use of chemical drugs.

A fresh water DE particle is a microscopic tube which draws water into it by capillary action. They can hold more than their weight in water. DE is the main ingredient in high quality soil wetting mixes. It is non-toxic, safe for the environment, and does not effect the soil chemistry.

It is important to have a consistent shape diatom and no unwanted sediment. The shape of the diatom must be tubular with holes on the walls. It must be fresh water because the diatoms form a harder shell and is less fragile that those in salt water.

Note: Salt water deposits contain a mix of diatom species. These deposits shapes and sediments are inconsistent making them unusable for our products.

Out of 600 deposits in the US only 4 are considered "food grade" by the FDA standards. Other food grade deposits still may contain higher amounts of sediment and clay that make them less effective.

Perma-Guard products use Diatomaceous Earth, mother natures eco-friendly naturally organic material. The products fit into the "living Green" lifestyle. Actually, Diatomaceous Earth is not an earth. Not all deposits of diatomaceous earth or the diatoms present in those deposits are the same. Perma-Guard's Fossil Shell Flour® is a very pure form of diatomaceous earth used as an anti-caking feed additive.

Where to buy Fossil Shell Flour in Australia Please check the directory for your nearest outlet or / and online store. Disclaimer This website provides you with information collected throughout the world. We do not claim to be the authority in this subject.Fossil Shell Flour® is sold as anti-caking agent in Australia. A lot of the reports have been generated in the United States. The use of Fossil Shell Flour® in Australia as anything else but an anti-caking agent falls under your own responsibility.Any food grade diatomaceous earth uses other than those approved by the EPA, FDA, or USDA (United States) are strictly reports of what farmers, others, and we ourselves have done with diatomaceous earth. We strongly suggest that you do your own research before you use this product in any shape or form. If you use this product we want to point out that you handle it with the appropriate care when you expose yourself to it: Avoid inhaling dust (human and animals) like as with all powders limit the creation and inhalation of dust Add water or oil before consumed by either human or animal Wear an appropriate dust mask and goggles if necessary when handling it extensively Additionally, the material in this website is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician or vet. This information is not intended as a substitute for the reader's independent judgment and personal responsibility. Health issues are far too important to delegate to anyone else. It is highly recommended you seek information and counsel from as wide a variety of sources as possible, as in the end you make the decisions.