Purification of (ingredients for) foods and beverages has always been a core focus for NORIT® activated carbon. Indeed, we serve a vast array of applications in food and beverage industries. There is too much to mention here, but these are some of our main applications:
Edible Oils
The removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) from edible oils and fats was pioneered by a leading European food company together with NORIT® – long before legal limits for PAH were set. We have developed special NORIT® ‘PAH’ grades with unique specifications for PAH removal capacity, allowing the lowest dosing. These grades are widely used to purify coconut, palm, palm kernel, olive pomace, sunflower, and other vegetable oils.
PCB and Dioxins removal from fish oils is a challenge similar to PAH removal from edible oils. NORIT® ‘PAH’ grades are the preferred solutions.
Excellent filtration properties are often required in the treatment of edible oils. NORIT® SA4 PAH-HF has been developed specifically to obtain superb filtration behavior under the high filter cake pressures encountered in the filtration of edible oils.
Starch based sweeteners
HFCS, fructose, glucose/dextrose, and other carbohydrates and derivatives are purified by industry leading companies at various stages of production – using high performing NORIT® activated carbon grades.
Our purification products effectively remove:
- Off-flavors (such as 2-AAP)
- Colored impurities
- Color precursors (HMF)
- Other trace impurities
For this we supply:
- Different pore structures, tailored to remove the targeted impurities
- Powdered grades with excellent filtration and controlled pH, dedicated to the application
- Granular and extruded activated carbons with high hardness, suitable for pulse bed and fixed bed systems with reactivation
- Grades with a high capacity for converter juice impurities
- High purity activated carbon grades, for use as polishers after ion exchange
- And of course: reactivation
Sugar
Our roots are in the sugar industry
NORIT® was founded more than a century ago to commercialize patented technology for sugar purification! Our product portfolio has of course come a long way since then. Dedicated NORIT® activated carbon grades are used in cane sugar refining, as well as in liquid sugar purification for beverage plants.
NORIT® activated carbon is widely used to remove:
- Natural pigments (polyphenols)
- Impurities formed during processing: melanoidins, caramels, …,
- Impurities originating from mostly sugar cane: natural pigments amino acids, polysaccharides, …
- Various off odors
For cane sugar refining we supply:
- Granular Activated Carbon with high decolorizing capacity, high buffering capacity (magnesite grades), high mechanical strength for reactivation.
- Powdered Activated Carbons: chemically or steam activated, depending on the main color and odor challenges. Neutral pH grades to avoid hydrolysis (‘inversion’) and melanoidin formation. High filtration rates for viscous syrups.
For liquid sugar treatment we offer:
- Powdered Activated Carbons: different types tailored to liquid cane, or liquid beet sugar treatment.
- Granular Activated Carbons: likewise different types, including high purity types for use after ion exchange.
Fruit Juices
Both fruit juices, and alcoholic drinks such as wines, beers, vodka, and rum, may need a purification treatment to obtain their best quality.
Our products effectively remove:
- Organoleptic discrepancies (color, bouquet/odor) in wines as per the applicable Oenological Codex
- Mycotoxins: patulin from apple juice, ochratoxin A from wine and juices
- Traces of pesticides
- Taste and color from beer, to make neutral malt base
The wide variety of treatment goals results in a broad range of NORIT® activated carbon grades being used. Organoleptic properties can be delicate and deserve a careful activated carbon selection. In all cases our consistent quality and food safety are important to create predictable high quality alcoholic drinks and juice products.
Dust-free dosing in wine production is achieved using BENTONORIT® grades: pellets, made of powdered activated carbon and food-grade bentonite clay. Dosed in (aqueous) liquids the pellets rapidly disperse, releasing the activated carbon to perform as a powder.
Black food colorant
Vegetable Activated Carbon is a black food grade colorant, specified as E 153 in the European Union’s Commission Regulation 231/2012. It is used to impart a dark black color to foods such as licorice, bread, ice cream, and even fish eggs.
We provide a range of E 153 compliant NORIT® products, with different color intensity to choose from. All these grades bring a.o.:
- A consistent performance thanks to our uniquely specified coloring power
- Good processability due to a very fine and narrow particle size distribution
- Full compliance with E 153 requirements
In addition, we apply microbiological specifications to help our customers achieve food safety without further sterilization.
