By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

This entry was just added to our Food Ingredients Guide:

Defoaming agent
Alternate names: defoamer, antifoaming agent, antifoamer, foam inhibitor
Commercial source: petrochemical-mineral, petrochemical-vegetable, vegetable, animal
Used in: cane and sugar beet processing; fermentation used to make enzymes, amino acids, etc.; processing of baked goods, coffee, fruit juice, instant soups and noodles and many other products; many industrial applications
Used for: reducing, eliminating or preventing the formation of foam during the processing of foodstuffs (e.g., cane sugar) and during a food or beverage product’s manufacture or consumption
Definition: Used widely in many food industries, defoamers control undesirable foam production.
Common Examples: dimethylpolysiloxane, polysorbate 60, polyethylene glycol, hydroxylated lecithin, magnesium stearate, fatty acids
Manufacturers: Organic Defoamer Group, Emerald Performance Materials
Classification: Typically Vegan
Definition added: October 2013

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