Antifoaming Agents in the Food Industry

The food industry can be considered one of the oldest application areas requiring control of foam formation that occurs during production and processing. Even at home, foam forms in a pot during the simple cooking of rice, beans or potatoes. If left unattended, it can overflow and make a mess that needs cleaning. If you imagine these cooking processes not as a pot on your stove but as production on an industrial scale, you can imagine how much trouble foam can cause.

Excessive foam in industrial-scale food production can lead to many problems:

• During the production process, tanks and vessels cannot be completely filled due to foam formation, reducing production efficiency. • Foam can damage pumps and mixers designed only for liquid materials as it passes through them. • Production shutdowns caused by foam overflow result in time and product loss. • In fermentation processes, it causes irregularities and reduced yield. We would not be exaggerating to say that antifoam additives have been used to control excess foam in food processing for nearly four hundred years. Initially, it was a simple discovery that adding a little olive oil when cooking rice worked. However, in today's automated, hygienic and demanding food industry conditions, a more sophisticated and reliable solution to this problem is needed. Modern foam control agents are designed from different materials depending on the purpose in creating antifoams or defoamers targeting specific food processing processes. However, they can also be designed as general-purpose agents to work in different foam control processes across a wide range of applications. Thanks to their carefully selected components, they can be produced to comply with a wide variety of food regulations and dietary requirements, as well as holding Halal or Kosher certification.

Before looking at some special products, we should consider what general types of materials are used in effective foam control additives and why they are preferred.

First of all, it should be stated generally that nothing soluble in foam will function as a foam control agent while it is in that solution. In other words, the more incompatible an antifoam is with the environment creating the foam, the greater its chance of effectively controlling the foam. Since many processes in the food industry take place in water-based or aqueous environments, the majority of foam control agents used here are oils or similar water-repellent substances. While recommending that the antifoam have properties incompatible with the foaming environment to control foaming effectively, it should also be noted that this agent will only work efficiently if it can disperse well in the foam-forming environment. In this case, our oil-based antifoams must be able to mix and disperse easily in a water-based food processing environment. Therefore, the production of a modern foam control agent is a delicate balance of components that is effective at the lowest, most cost-effective addition level possible, disperses efficiently, and produces a high-performance antifoam. However, it should have no adverse effects in the process or in the finished food product. As KCC Basildon, we have been manufacturing foam control agents and antifoams for the food industry since the 1980s. Our product range has grown and developed based on our own technical antifoam formulation experience and close relationships with the food, fermented beverages and fermentation industries. KCC Basildon is ISO 9001:2015 and FSSC 22000 certified for all products in the Foam-Clear food-grade antifoam series, which holds both Halal and Kosher certification. Beyond this, we can provide recommendations on product compliance with food regulations such as FDA, BFR, EFSA and GB9685-2016.  

Foam-Clear Series

The Foam-Clear series is divided into three main product groups.

Ferm Group

"Ferm" stands for "Fermentation" and both EscaFerm and EscaFerm-S are designed for use in fermentation processes. EscaFerm is a silicone-based defoamer in emulsion form, while EscaFerm-S is a 100% active combination of silicone and polyglycol.

Pro Group

"Pro" stands for "Processing" and these silicone-based defoamers are designed for use in a wide range of food processing applications, from non-alcoholic beverage production to potato and vegetable processing.

Esca-N Group

The "N" here denotes the fact that this antifoam group is not silicone-based. These are plant-derived and polyglycol-derived antifoams that provide an alternative to silicone-based products and are used in various fermentation and processing applications.

Fermentation and Brewing

We have been supplying antifoams to the brewing industry for over 30 years, and EscaFerm has been specially designed to meet the needs of this industry. It is a ready-to-use, silicone-based defoamer in emulsion form, highly effective at low concentrations and easily disperses in the foaming environment. Foam control during the fermentation process is the primary application in brewing, while antifoam is also generally used during the boiling of wort in the kettle. During this process, the hops can be lifted up by foam as the wort boils, reducing the isomerization of the hops in the wort. The addition of EscaFerm will prevent this. During fermentation, foam caused by bacterial activity will lead to separation of components and inefficient fermentation. For example, yeast, hops and proteins can be pushed out of the mixture by rising foam, which makes it difficult for the fermented beverage to reach the desired specific gravity, resulting in aroma loss in the final product. By controlling foam, EscaFerm keeps the mixture of components homogeneous and facilitates smooth, efficient fermentation. At the end of the process, the antifoam is filtered out with the remaining solids in the fermenter. Fermented beverages are just one example of fermentation processes. Vinegar production and also the production of food ingredients such as Yeast, Citric Acid, MSG or Amino Acids require foam control. EscaFerm-S is an antifoam that combines the properties of silicone and polyglycol for use in sugar molasses and grain fermentations. It is particularly effective in amino acid production and is even used in pharmaceutical applications such as the fermentation of antibiotic intermediates. Esca-NP is a polyglycol-based antifoam that can be used in various applications, including yeast culture fermentation. Particularly in MSG production via fermentation, silicone-based defoamers are not as effective as polyglycol-based ones. Esca-NVD is a plant oil-based defoamer that is based on more 'natural' foam control components and contains no preservatives, effective in fermentations and food processing applications.

Non-Alcoholic Beverage Production

In the processing of fruit juice, the extraction process, concentration of fruit juice through evaporation and even the reconstitution of fruit juice from concentrate are areas where antifoam agents can be helpful. During the extraction process, the acid in the fruit and the solids it contains will create foam. During evaporation, excessive bubbling and contamination can be controlled with an antifoam. Finally, the use of an antifoam will be helpful in the process of mixing fruit juice concentrate with water and other ingredients during fruit juice production. EscaPro-E and EscaPro are well suited for these types of general beverage production applications. Silicone-based and water-dispersible products are highly effective at low concentrations while imparting no taste or odor to the finished product. In carbonated beverage production, EscaPro has proven to be the preferred antifoam. Carbonated beverages are typically produced from a formulated concentrate that is diluted and carbonated at the bottling facility before filling. In carbonated beverages, the water used to dilute the concentrate must not contain additional air, as it would interfere with carbonation. During filling, a small amount of antifoam will prevent "foaming" that would result in irregular fill volumes.

Potato and Vegetable Processing

Washing, peeling and cutting are all done with water and dirt, starch, protein and other matter from vegetables mixing into the water causes foaming. EscaPro-E is an extremely economical product for use in such applications, while Esca-NP provides an alternative solution for processes with high starch levels. There are countless antifoam applications in the food industry and our products or applications for their use are not limited to those mentioned here. For more information, please refer to the "antifoam selection guide" and our website.

References

• Critical Reports on Applied Chemistry Volume 30 'Recent Developments in the Technology of Surfactants' – Elsevier Applied Science, 1990 • Don't Lose Your Head! A Look at Using Antifoams in the Brewery - Dana Johnson - The New Brewer, July/Aug, 2009