Tofu

Form Extinguisher
   • Anti-foaming effects
   • Deforming effects

increased protein content in soybean milk.

Cotton tofu is produced by firstly making "GO" through grinding soy beans with ten times the amount of water. After boiling, "GO" is divided into soybean milk and bean-curd (okara) lees by filtration.
After cooling, a coagulating agent is added to soybean milk and the mixture is poured into a box covered with a cloth. The aqueous part called "Lyu", is removed by weight-loading. The remains are molded.
Silken tofu is produced by making a concentrated soybean milk with about 5 times the amount of water and standing alone for coagulation.

When "GO", is steamed, its vigorous foaming occurs in the presence of protein and saponin of soybean followed by boiling. In a continuous steaming system, the foaming lowers the heat conductivity, resulting in a non-uniformity.
Also, foam is produced so much during the separation of bean-curd lees (Okara), that the foams left in the soybean milk weaken the structure of the tofu.
Tofu has been produced in the cottage industry and foam extinguishing oil was used as an anti-foam agent. However, nowadays monoglyceride is ordinarily used because of a large scaled manufacturing and spread of hygienic concern among the public.

Foam extinguisher for tofu has anti-foaming effects to repress foaming as well as defoaming effects.
Generally, a distilled monoglyceride of saturated fatty acid is added to "GO" to repress foaming.
Other than the anti-foaming effect, monoglyceride stimulates emulsification of "GO", and makes a complex with starch which inhibits swelling, resulting in improved separation of bean crud lees and increased protein content in the soybean milk.

Rikemal Super and Rikemal AP are available as Foam Extinguisher.