Amazing Uses of Caustic Soda within Food Processing

The very mention of the name caustic soda brings to mind everything except food processing. However, this versatile chemical, known more commonly as sodium hydroxide or NaOH, plays a huge role in different food production processes. From preparing hominy and other traditional foods to cleaning food preparation equipment, caustic soda is the unsung hero of the industry. It helps to bring food to your table, mostly unbeknownst to you until now, in some amazing ways. Let’s take a look at how this chemical agent assists in bringing food to your plate in some surprising ways.

Read about industrial uses of caustic soda*

1. Making Hominy and Masa: A Traditional Process Made Modern

If you have ever enjoyed a warm tortilla or tamale, you probably have benefitted from caustic soda without your even knowing it. One of its oldest and most interesting uses is in a process called nixtamalization, which is crucial for making hominy and masa.

First of all, in this process dried corn is soaked and cooked in a diluted solution of caustic soda. Why? This helps in softening the corn, loosening the hard outer hull from it, and making the corn easy to grind into dough. But that is not all-nixtamalization enhances the flavor of the corn and increases the nutritional value due to the increase in the accessibility of important nutrients, such as niacin or Vitamin B3.

Just think of how much manual labor and processes would be involved in producing many of the tasty foods if it were not for caustic soda.

2. Keeping Food Processing Equipment Spotless

Any food production site has to maintain cleanliness, and cleanliness means meeting very high standards when it comes to food safety. One of the key players maintaining that cleanliness is-you guessed it-caustic soda.

This strong cleaning agent consequently finds broad applications in food processing industries for cleaning, sanitizing equipment, surfaces, and containers. Because of its strong alkalinity, it is particularly good in the emulsification of resistant residuals such as grease, fats, and proteins. These can accumulate on equipment used to process everything from dairy products to meats.

This way, food manufacturers avoid contamination so that every batch of prepared food is safe for consumption; thanks to the cleanliness of their equipment with caustic soda.

3. Softening Olives for a Smoother Texture

If you snack on olives, you may have sampled the work of caustic soda in action. Olives are cured to rid them of natural bitterness and also treated with caustic soda to soften their texture before they make it to store shelves.

Without this, olives would be tough to eat. This helps in the degradation of the bitter compounds, making that olive soft, full of flavor, and palatable with cheese, breads, or just alone.

4. Efficient Peeling of Fruits and Vegetables

Peeling fruits and vegetables manually may be hectic and time-consuming, especially when done on a large scale. The process becomes easy with the addition of caustic soda. In most cases, it plays a major role in the peeling of produce foods such as tomatoes, potatoes, and peaches in a quick and efficient manner within the food industry.

Here’s how it goes: The produce is briefly immersed in a solution of diluted caustic soda. This has an effect on the skin; specifically, it loosens the skin, which falls off easily and actually quite neatly without peeling off the fruit or vegetable itself. The reason this helps manufacturers so much is that processing is greatly sped up. Seriously, tons of fruit and vegetables may be prepared in minimal time. It further minimizes waste since the flesh can still be used.

The food items are then washed thoroughly to eradicate any residual caustic soda within them. After doing this, the foods are now safe for consumption and ready for packaging.

5. Enhancement of Cocoa and Chocolate Flavor

Here’s a fun fact: caustic soda even plays a part in your favorite chocolate indulgences! In the manufacture of cocoa powder, the name “Dutching” is applied to a process wherein alkali treatment, very often with caustic soda, is used.

This process neutralizes the natural acidity within the beans, making the cocoa much milder and darker, as favored in many chocolate products. Dutch-processed cocoa is smooth in taste and rich in texture, adding two very desirable features to chocolate desserts.

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Is Caustic Soda Safe in Food Processing?

Although this may sound unusual, that this caustic soda is applied in the production of foodstuffs, stand assured it is employed safely with stringent controls. As a matter of fact, if well managed and washed off, there is no danger to the consumers. For example, regulatory authorities such as the FDA have strict standards that guarantee caustic soda is used accordingly in food processing and hence makes the process effective and safe.

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