Use of hop products as bacteriostaticum in the sugar industry

Research has been carried out to determine whether formalin, a widespread processing aid in the sugar industry, could be replaced by hop products principially. It was found that a product called “Base-extract” exists in the hop industry, whose price, based on the effect, is able to compete with formalin. The activity of this extract is based on a high content of bacteriostatically efficient hop-b -acids. During experimental stage dosing of this pasty and water-insoluble product was a problem, which was overcome by emulsifying with sorbitol ester or in case of short pipes by direct dosing of warmed extract. Under Austrian conditions, i.e. with an acceptance of microbial acid formation in the upper part of the extraction towers to improve pulp pressing, the content of lactic acid in the raw juice could be reduced to approx. 400 mg/l by dosing of Base-extract. After juice purification nitriteforming microorganisms, within a juice softening equipment by an ion exchanger were successfully controlled with the help of Base-extract. It was found that also in this case hop constituents were inactivated to the extent that no harmful enrichment in molasses occured.