Sugar Extra Fine Grain Food Grade

Granulated sugar is what most homeowners utilize in their kitchens and has a coarse texture. Extra fine grain sugar has the same chemical makeup as table sugar but is ground into much finer crystals that bakers find useful in creating fluffy meringues and smooth batters. The lighter texture derived from using super fine crystals gives lemon meringue pie and angel food cake their airiness. The food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, stocks extra fine grain sugar for home gourmets and pastry chefs alike.

The crystals of superfine sugar (also recognized by some as either “bar sugar” because of its use in mixed drinks or “baking sugar” since it is a key ingredient in baked goods) are not identical to powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is pulverized granulated sugar and does not give the same positive results extra fine (or superfine) sugar does. While Americans are used to granulated sugar, other parts of the world use extra fine sugar as their everyday sweetener.

Surprisingly, sugar has a number of varieties depending on crystal size. In decreasing order, coarse sugar can be ground into granulated sugar, fruit sugar, Baker’s Special sugar, extra fine sugar, and confectioners –or powdered – sugar. Of these varieties, all retain the same amount of sweetening content except for powdered sugar, which contains a slight amount of cornstarch to prevent clumping.

While heavier granulated sugar generally settles to the bottom of a glass of cold water without thoroughly mixing, extra fine sugar mixes readily in cold water as well as hot, giving an even amount of sweetener to any liquid source.

Extra fine grain sugar is a key ingredient in bakery products, cereals, liquid forms of sugar candies, powdered drink mixes, chewing gum, jams and jellies, dairy products, condiments, and pickles. Many pharmaceutical products, such as cough syrups, are sweetened with extra fine grain sugar.

Bell Chem stocks extra fine grain sugar for its customers to use for a large family gathering or industrially in a bakery setting. This food ingredient supplier also carries most of the other items you need to run a successful business: industrial chemicals, cleaning agents, disinfectants, food grade chemicals and ingredients, oils, and natural products. Give the courteous representatives at Bell Chem a call today at 407-339-2355 (BELL).

Sodium Benzoate EDF Food Grade

Sodium benzoate, or NaC7H5O2, is a white or colorless crystalline powder that occurs naturally in small amounts in cinnamon, apples, cranberries, and prunes; for industrial use, sodium benzoate is created by the neutralization of benzoic acid with sodium hydroxide. Generally used as a food preservative, sodium benzoate is both bacteriostatic and fungistatic in conditions with a low pH. Bell Chem, the food ingredient supplier of Central Florida, proudly stocks sodium benzoate for its customers.

Because it works well in acidic conditions, manufacturers turn to sodium benzoate for preserving salad dressings, carbonated drinks, fermented foods such as sauerkraut, fruit juices, jams and jellies with acidic ingredients, pickles, and several condiments including hot sauce.

The pharmaceutical industry finds sodium benzoate an appropriate ingredient for medicines. Urea cycle disorders respond to sodium benzoate since it binds to amino acids so they can be excreted from the body, thereby lowering the overall amount of ammonia in the blood. Hyperammoniemia, or extreme amounts of ammonia in the blood, is another disorder thwarted by sodium benzoate.

Many forms of cosmetics utilize sodium benzoate for its characteristic preservative qualities.

While preserving foods with a low pH is its best-known asset, sodium benzoate has uses in various industries. Give Bell Chem a call today at 407-339-BELL (407-339-2355) to speak with a representative from Florida’s food ingredient supplier about the benefits your company will receive by stocking this important food ingredient. Our blog page has an abundance of information pertaining to chemicals, food ingredients, pharmaceutical grade products, sanitation chemicals, and personal care ingredients.

Sodium Citrate FCC Dihydrate

Disodium hydrogen citrate, commonly referred to as sodium citrate dihydrate, is an acid salt of citric acid and has the chemical formula Na2C6H6O7. The Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) variety meets all guidelines deeming it appropriate for use in foods, beverages, and pharmaceutical products. Bell Chem, the food ingredient supplier in Orlando, has found sodium citrate dihydrate useful in emulsification, as an antioxidant, to regulate acidity, et cetera. Read below for a short description of the uses of sodium citrate FFC dihydrate and more.

• When added to cheese, sodium citrate dihydrate allows cheese to melt without appearing greasy since it easily emulsifies oil. Sodium citrate dihydrate locks oil into the cheese and keeps it from oozing onto the surface.
• As a sequestrant, sodium citrate dihydrate improves both the stability and quality of foods. Acting as a preservative, sequestrants prevent the oxidation of fats. When fats oxidize, they can easily form free radicals that break down the product and cause spoilage.
• Sodium citrate dihydrate acts as an antioxidant in other foods as well. By stopping oxidation within any product, sodium citrate dihydrate minimizes product damage.
• Regulating acids during the processing of foods is another function of sodium citrate dihydrate. When the chemical pH of foods is stabilized, they last longer and have a greater tendency to retain their proper taste and texture.

Sodium citrate dihydrate is a powerful food additive with far-ranging uses, as briefly outlined above. The food ingredient supplier in Orlando, Bell Chem, proudly stocks this product as well as an abundance of other food-related ingredients. Our inventory encompasses other industries as well, including water treatment, beauty care and nutrition, sanitation, and reagent-grade chemicals. Give Bell Chem a call today at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to learn about our inventory, and read the Bell Chem blog for an in-depth look at many of our chemicals and services offered.

Calcium Propionate FCC Crystal

Calcium propionate (Ca(C2H5COO)2) is a calcium salt of propanoic acid, which accounts for its alternate name, calcium propanoate. The “FCC” added to its name indicates this food additive complies to the rigorous Food Chemicals Codex regulations and is suitable for human consumption. In its crystal form, calcium propionate has larger granules than in powder form. Bell Chem, the Orlando food ingredient supplier, stocks calcium propionate because of its use as a preservative and mold inhibitor.

• Bakeries struggle with the ever-present threat of mold. Mold can detrimentally affect inventory levels of any baked good unless a mold inhibitor is a recipe ingredient. Calcium propionate fills this need by inhibiting mold growth, which extends product shelf life.
• Processed meats, such as deli meats, canned meats, and meat pastes containing calcium propionate, have a much longer shelf life because of the preservative properties found in this important food additive.
• Whey, yogurt, kefir, and other dairy products with calcium propionate added have an extended shelf life and a drastic reduction in mold and bacteria infiltration.
• While calcium propionate performs the same duties as benzoates – preventing microbes from producing energy – calcium propionate can work in a wider pH range since it works in either a neutral or basic environment as well as the standard acidic state benzoates need to perform properly.  
• The citrus industry utilizes calcium propionate as a fungicide on oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and any other type of citrus fruit. Many other fruits, even those not considered acidic, take advantage of the fungicidal properties found in calcium propionate.

With so many uses in the food industry, it is no wonder calcium propionate crystal is frequently called upon as a dependable food ingredient. To learn more about calcium propionate crystal and other ingredients and chemicals, call the Orlando food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, at 407-339-2355 (BELL), and speak with one of our knowledgeable consultants. Read the Bell Chem blog for information on many of the chemicals and food products in our extensive inventory.

Sodium Acetate FCC

Sodium acetate has the chemical formula CH3COONa or NaOAc. This sodium salt of acetic acid can be utilized in a wide variety of differing industries such as the textile industry, in rubber production, and in the process of cotton, for instance. Bell Chem, the Orlando food ingredient supplier, also stocks this important substance in its Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) form which is used for food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and any other form that may be consumed by humans. Below are a few of the many uses of sodium acetate FCC.

• Salt and vinegar potato chips owe their zing to sodium acetate when it takes on the form of sodium diacetate (sodium acetate combined with acetic acid). This combination of a salt and an acid provides both flavors people crave.
• Processed and ripening cheeses, cheese analogues and powders, and dairy products such as buttermilk, sour cream, condensed milk, and yogurt appreciate sodium acetate’s emulsifying and preserving properties.
• Canning and drying fruits and vegetables requires an additive such as sodium acetate to prevent bacterial growth as well as to preserve the produce. Sodium acetate serves the same purpose for preserved nuts and legumes and is a common ingredient to peanut butter.
• Canned meat and deli meats contain sodium acetate as a preservative. Canned fish, such as sardines, fish pastes, and fermented shellfish, also use sodium acetate to preserve their meat products.
• Sodium acetate is common in commercially prepared desserts since it acts as an emulsifier in ice cream, pudding, and custard, keeping ingredients from separating. Chocolate, candy and icing, sorbet, and sherbet all contain sodium acetate as a preservative as well as an emulsifier.
• In spreads with fat as their basic ingredient, such as mustard, broths, sauces, and butter blends, sodium acetate acts as an emulsifier and a preservative.

Sodium acetate FCC is a clear winner to stock in your storeroom. With its abundant uses, it’s a good thing Bell Chem stocks this product in volume! Give the Orlando food ingredient supplier Bell Chem a call today to 407-339-2355 (BELL) to learn more about sodium acetate and Bell Chem’s entire line of ingredients and chemicals specific to food preparation. Our website contains information on various products and services; read our blogs to learn even more about our inventory.

Product Spotlight: Vegetable Glycerine 99.7%

Vegetable glycerine 99.7% is produced primarily from soy, palm, or coconut oil, although other oils may also be used in its manufacture. Glycerine is odorless, colorless, viscous (thick), and has a sweet taste. Purer forms of glycerine – above 99% - are the standard for use in foods, pharmaceutical products, and cosmetics. Below are only a few uses of the Orlando food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem’s, vegetable glycerine 99.7%.

• Cosmetics: Glycerine is a humectant, attracting water to the skin. This makes it ideal for use in lotions, shampoos, and conditioners.
• Foods: Because it is metabolized differently than table sugar, glycerine can replace sugar in low carbohydrate foods, keeping the amount of sweet taste the same. Glycerol contains seven more kilocalories per teaspoon compared to table sugar and is 60% as sweet as sucrose. When added to products such as icing, it increases spreadability without setting into a hard, tough shell.
• Personal care: When added to toothpaste and mouthwash, glycerine sweetens the taste but is not a food source for the bacteria that form plaques and cause tooth decay. Glycerine soaps draw moisture to the skin’s surface and prevent that moisture from escaping into the surrounding atmosphere as evaporation. For consumers with extra dry or sensitive skin, glycerine soap is the perfect alternative for skin care.
• Herbal and botanical tinctures: Glycerine can replace the alcoholic content in herbal and botanical tinctures to give products more body and none of the alcohol odor. For those who wish for alcohol-free herbal and botanical products, glycerine is ideal.
• Pharmaceuticals: Humectants boost the solubility of active ingredients, so glycerine delivers products more effectively as either a topical application, where the medicine is absorbed into the skin more rapidly, or in capsule form, where glycerine is considered a tablet-holding agent. Cough syrups and elixirs have improved smoothness with glycerine.

Glycerine is a multi-use product utilized in several different food and beverage industries. Because it can be used as a humectant, solvent, preservative, filler and thickening agent, and sweetener, glycerine serves several roles in one easy to use product. Contact Bell Chem, your Orlando food ingredient supplier, at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to order glycerine 99.7% or any of our other products.

Learn About Sodium Benzoate

Sodium benzoate is the most widely used food preservative in the world. Listed as a bacteriostatic and fungistatic when placed in an acidic condition, sodium benzoate hinders the reproduction of fungus and bacteria without necessarily killing the existing microbes within the food. Because the pH range is acidic for sodium benzoate to react properly, it is most often added to foods with a low pH. Read more about sodium benzoate in the information below brought to you by your chemical supplier in Florida, Bell Chem.

• Food Industry: Acidic foods, condiments, and beverages find the advantages of the addition of sodium benzoate as a preservative. Salad dressings, carbonated beverages, fruit juices, and pickles owe their extended shelf lives to sodium benzoate.
• Pharmaceutical Industry: Many medicines contain sodium benzoate to preserve and stabilize their products. The pharmaceutical industry has been treating urea cycle disorders with sodium benzoate because it has the ability to bind with amino acids and excrete them from the body. This decreases the ammonia levels within the tissues and circulatory system, lowering the pH to a more desirable level.
• Pyrotechnics Industry: Fireworks are a brilliant light show, but part of the thrill is the sound effects. Sodium benzoate acts as a fuel in the whistle mix, a powder that creates the whistling noise often associated with spiraling fireworks.
• Personal-Care Industry: Cosmetics containing sodium benzoate include toothpastes, mouthwashes, and dental appliance cleaners.
• Automotive Industry: This industry has noted sodium benzoate is useful as a corrosion inhibitor in engine coolant systems.

With its wide range of uses, it is no wonder so many industries rely on sodium benzoate as their preservative of choice. Find more information pertaining to all our chemicals by reading our blogs, and call Bell Chem, the chemical supplier in Florida, at (407) 339-2355 (BELL) to speak with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

Tri-Calcium Phosphate

Tricalcium phosphate (Ca3(PO4)2) is a calcium salt of phosphoric acid. Containing both calcium and phosphoric acid gives tricalcium phosphate many positive health and pharmaceutical benefits as well as industrial uses. Below are only a few of the many uses of this marvelous product stocked by Bell Chem, your Florida chemical supplier.

• Cheesemaking and other industries employ tricalcium phosphate to regulate acidity.
• Baked goods often list tricalcium phosphate as an ingredient. When bread is baked, tricalcium phosphate causes bread to rise properly.
• Reduced fat liquids containing tricalcium phosphate are generally smoother and thicker.
• Many spices contain tricalcium phosphate because it deters caking and clumping. As a matter of fact, from baby powder and agricultural applications, thousands of products take advantage of tricalcium phosphate’s anti-caking properties.
• When pharmaceuticals need to be routed directly to osseous tissue (bone), tricalcium phosphate acts as a delivery system, bringing the medication directly to the bone.
• In antacids, the basic properties of tricalcium phosphate act to buffer the acid environment of the stomach while supplying the body with calcium, an important component of every body system.
• Common medical practice utilizes tricalcium phosphate as a supplement or stand-alone bone graft agent.
• Home water filtration systems find tricalcium phosphate works well to remove fluoride from water.
• Fertilizers often contain large amounts of phosphoric acid, which is typically derived from tricalcium phosphate.

Your body cannot function without calcium or phosphate. Calcium is imperative for muscle contraction, heart rate regularity, and, its most well-known function, bone health. Phosphate is less well recognized but is essential in the formation of cellular membranes, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), energy production within cells, and bone mineralization (hardening). Supplementing your diet with tricalcium phosphate will ensure you receive the correct amounts of both nutrients daily.

Read more about all the chemicals offered through Bell Chem by reading our blogs, and contact our team of experts at (407) 339-2355 (BELL) with any questions pertaining to tricalcium phosphate or any of the other chemicals on hand at your Florida chemical supplier of choice.

Puracal PP

Puracal PP (pentahydrate powder) is food grade calcium lactate available in a white, non-hygroscopic formation. Added to many foods, it provides an excellent source of calcium in everyday products. Because it is highly soluble and its taste can best be described as neutral, the application of this calcium salt of lactic acid in most products is simple and leaves no bitter taste on foods, unlike other calcium additives. Below is a list of a few of the applications for Puracal PP, one of the quality chemicals supplied by Bell Chem, your nutritional chemical supplier.

• Restaurants and grocery stores use Puracal PP on freshly cut fruits to extend their shelf life. Fruits remain firmer longer with an application of Puracal PP.

• Sugar-free foods are often highly acidic, which can cause tooth decay. Adding Puracal PP counters this reaction by remineralizing tooth enamel, thereby preventing its erosion.

• Mouthwashes, toothpastes, and other oral care products often contain Puracal PP because it decreases tartar production.

• In the pharmaceutical industry, Puracal PP serves two distinct purposes that we often see united in one product: it is utilized as an antacid and a calcium supplement.

• Cheesemakers employ Puracal PP on both young and old cheeses in the form of cheese crystals to diminish acidity. It is more likely to be added to the exterior of the cheeses, although adding Puracal PP as the cheese forms is not unlikely.

Puracal PP dissolves easily and is readily absorbed at a wide pH range. Absorption can occur with or without food when ingested orally. With its ability to boost calcium levels while deterring enamel erosion, Puracal PP is a great choice for preserving food as it enhances the body’s framework. Call Bell Chem at (407) 339-2355 (BELL) for further information on Puracal PP or any of the other chemicals in their vast inventory, and read our latest blogs to learn more about the nutritional chemical supplier of Florida, Bell Chem.

Why Coconut Oil?

Coconut oil brings to mind tropical beaches, calypso music and beautiful skin. Surprisingly, the fragrant oil we have been rubbing on our bodies to promote a healthy, robust tan has been found to house properties that reduce the effects of the sun. In fact, this beauty care chemical diminishes the appearance of fine lines in the face and hands, and its repertoire stretches from the kitchen to the shower to the makeup table. Valentine’s Day is coming up, so add coconut oil to your beauty regimen and diet for amazing results before the day of love is here.

While this blog is focusing on coconut oil’s beauty benefits, do not overlook how cooking or baking with coconut oil as an ingredient may help the body as well as the skin and hair. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides that the brain utilizes as fuel in place of glucose. A small study of patients with Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders who used coconut oil as part of their daily regimen found their impairments were more than halted. In fact, they were reversed. While a large-scale study is still in the future, many families find that if this small change in consumption opens their loved ones’ abilities to reason, then why not switch? The cost is minimal, and the results may be extraordinary for the investment you’ve made with your over-the-counter coconut oil purchase.

In the meantime, the switch to cooking with coconut oil will benefit almost everyone because this no-cholesterol alternative to butter is heart healthy and acts as a solid at room temperature. Switching from olive oil to coconut oil is just as simple since the boiling point for coconut oil is quite low because it rapidly changes to an oil with a touch of heat.

Coconut oil is naturally anti-microbial, making it a good fit for your beauty regimen.  Individuals suffering from dermatitis, including eczema, rosacea, acne or any condition that causes skin fragility respond favorably to coconut oil because of its high levels of lauric acid.  Medical studies of eczema patients found that given a cleansing regimen with this beauty care chemical stopped the Staphylococcus bacteria from invading the skin – remarkable news for these sufferers.

Along with its medical advantages, coconut oil also has beauty secrets to share. If your hair is dry, damaged or frizzy, dab a bit of coconut oil on your palm and brush it through your hair at night. In the morning, wash your hair as normal and awaken the natural beauty of your hair.  Keep coconut oil on your dresser or in the bathroom to remove makeup, even long-lasting mascara. After shaving, coconut oil soothes the skin and leaves your legs supple and healthy.

With its myriad of uses, it’s no wonder coconut oil has become popular in the marketplace. Learn more about the healthy, rejuvenating benefits of this beauty care chemical for Valentine’s Day and beyond from Bell Chem.