Description
Diatomaceous earth possesses stable chemical properties and exhibits negligible adsorption, having no impact on the effective components, flavor, or aroma of food. Therefore, diatomaceous earth filter aids are widely used in the food industry as highly efficient and stable filter aids.
Diatomaceous Earth Applications in Beer Production The use of diatomaceous earth filter aids in beer filtration has a long history. Large-scale application in China began in the 1980s, and today, all large and medium-sized breweries in China use this process. Beer treated with diatomaceous earth has a whiter, finer, and longer-lasting foam, a purer and lighter flavor, and can reduce the turbidity of the finished beer to below 0.35 (EBC units), minimizing wort loss and beer spoilage. With improvements in beer production technology, filtration technology, equipment, and the quality of diatomaceous earth filter aids, the consumption per ton of beer using diatomaceous earth filter aids has decreased from over 2 kg ten years ago to approximately 1.2 kg.
Application of Diatomaceous Earth in Soy Sauce Production After natural sedimentation, diatomaceous earth is added to aid filtration in soy sauce production. Centrifugation tests show that the product filtered through diatomaceous earth has no visible sediment, while the product without diatomaceous earth filtration shows sediment the size of soybeans. Soy sauce sterilized with diatomaceous earth can be stored at room temperature for over a year without preservatives or external contamination, and the total bacterial count does not increase. It removes the vast majority of bacteria (including Bacillus spores) from the soy sauce, ensuring the product's hygienic quality during shelf life.
Application of Diatomaceous Earth in Vinegar Production During solid-state fermentation vinegar production, diatomaceous earth filtration removes over 90% of microorganisms (including heat-resistant Bacillus spores), resulting in a clear, bright appearance. The product shows no turbidity after 12 months of storage, maintaining stable quality. Compared to traditional high-temperature sterilization (80℃), this method offers advantages such as stable product quality, better clarity, lower energy consumption, and simpler operation. It is also economical and practical, reducing the cost per ton of rice vinegar by 11 yuan.
Applications of Diatomaceous Earth in Edible Oil Production Diatomaceous earth, with its very large specific surface area, has been widely used in the filtration of edible oils after decolorization and deodorization, and has played a positive and effective role in dewaxing edible oils.
Applications of Diatomaceous Earth in Clear Juice Beverage Production After filtration with diatomaceous earth, most of the plant fiber, denatured colloids/proteins, and other solid substances in the juice are removed. At 6°-8°Bx, the transmittance can reach 60%-70%, sometimes even as high as 97%, and the turbidity is below 1.2 NTU, greatly reducing the occurrence of subsequent sedimentation and flocculent matter.
Applications of Diatomaceous Earth in Oligosaccharide Production In the oligosaccharide filtration process, the combined use of diatomaceous earth and activated carbon filtration between the primary decolorization filtration and ion exchange not only removes most impurities and improves product quality, but also reduces the amount of activated carbon used, lowering production costs.
