Defoamers are a key product in many industrial processes. Their use allows to increase the production capacity and the quality of the final products. Controlling and reducing the level of foam improves the performance of production processes as it allows the containers to be used to their maximum capacity, preventing overflows and facilitating pumping.
In the case of the food industry, it is common to use defoamers based on polydimethylsiloxane type silicone emulsions (food code E-900), which offer excellent results at low dosages, a high persistence of the defoaming effect and a high reliability in their effectiveness. At Concentrol we have solutions based on silicone that comply with all the quality and food safety guarantees, as well as defoamers based on vegetable oils and food additives (with code E) for those cases where a silicone-based defoamer cannot be used.
Concerning polymeric defoamers (chemically they are polyol type polymers, composed of polymerized ethylene oxide and propylene oxide), Concentrol does not recommend their use in those applications where they may become part of the final product. In these cases, because they do not have an E food code, their use is not recommended and their function should be limited as a process food aid, and not as a food additive. Concentrol’s polymeric anti-foaming agents meet the requirements for use as processing aids, in particular complying with the French and American regulations: Arrêté du 26 septembre 2017 modifiant l’arrêté du 19 octobre 2006 relatif à l’emploi d’auxiliaires technologiques dans la fabrication de certaines denrées alimentaires y Title 21 CFR (FDA): 173.340, 172.808, 173.310. Considered only as process supports: they must be removed from the final food product.
At Concentrol we recommend the use of silicon-based defoamers in food (references EMULTROL DFM DV-X FG) because of their many advantages:
> Easy dissolution in aqueous systems
> Does not affect the organoleptic properties of the food
> Effective in low doses: 0.01 to 0.1% (depending on the type of foam)
> Complies with European food additive regulations Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008
> Certified as an E-900 additive in the food industry
The great effectiveness of silicon-based defoamers and their guarantees of food safety make them the best choice for use in applications where there is contact with food.
In the case that silicone-based defoamers cannot be used, the best alternative are defoamers formulated from vegetable oils and food additives such as EMULTROL DFM OLV-55 FG. This reference has a wider field of application than silicone-based defoamers, being suitable for the processing of dairy products, beverages, fruits, vegetables, soups and meat derivatives, among others. Moreover, the particular combination of its components improves the long-term defoaming effect compared to other products on the market. All this considering that it is a product based on vegetable oil and thus is suitable for direct contact with food.
Responsibility for the safety of people and the environment is a top priority for Concentrol. If you have any doubts about the most suitable defoamers for your production, do not hesitate to contact us.