5 Indispensable Usa of Calcium Hydroxide in the Food industry
Calcium Hydroxide is slaked lime and made using two calcium and two oxygen components. It is a colourless crystal kept with water in a closed system. The solution is easily soluble in water. If kept at an ambient temperature, it dissolves purely well in water. In high pH density, the solubility decreases drastically.
Calcium Hydroxide is lime water reacting quite well with acid. It attacks metals like aluminium and prevents them from corrosion. There are wide application ranges of this acid. The main one is used in the food industry.
Uses of Calcium Hydroxide in the Food Industry
- Processed water for the drinks
Soft drinks contain carbonated water with lime water as the main ingredient. Carbonated water is not the normal water people drink every day. It requires chemicals for the processing part. Calcium hydroxide is an essential element in the process. The factories use this chemical for making the components.
- Sugarcane industry
Sugar is yet another essential chemical in the food industry. Sugar cane and sugar beet are the two sources of sugar. Sugar beet is derived from a plant with a high concentration of sucrose in the roots. Sugar cane is used for sugar production in many places.
There is a process carried on in the factory called sugar refining. It is purifying the raw sugar from its extracts. Calcium hydroxide is mixed with phosphoric acid to put in the sugar solution. It helps in removing all the impurities from the sugar components.
- Producing corn tortillas
Corn tortillas are a great source of nutrients and energy. Silane coupling agents are used for the manufacture of tortillas. Further, the grain is first soaked in water and the full part is then removed. The corn tortillas factories use the chemical agent as alkaline solutions to soak the raw corn.
After the process, the corn is washed and cleaned to make it safe for eating. Calcium hydrogen is relatively safe. But drinking the alkaline solution is not good for health.
- Using in fruit drinks fortification
Calcium hydroxide is also used in the fortification of fruit drinks. The factories increase the nutrients in the substance so that people feel like buying it. Calcium is an essential component of nutrition and is important for the body.
Taking raw calcium costs a lot, so it is used as calcium fortification. It aims to increase the calcium content in the drink. There are other calcium compounds mixed in infant milk and fruit drinks too.
Calcium hydroxide is used in making pickles to make them extra crunchy. The canning process takes about 10 to 24 hours. Additionally, the calcium is bound to pectin to make it firm. Many pickle recipes involve the canning process. Only use high-quality calcium food-grade hydroxide. Follow the instructions on how to follow the safety tips.
Conclusion
Calcium Hydroxide is mainly used in the food industry. It has so many benefits if you know how to use it properly. It is a white powder and has dental and medical uses too.
