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Debunking Common Myths About Working with Chemicals
The prevailing conception concerning chemicals is their danger, since thoughts dwell on chemical explosions and fires. However, everything we utilize is composed of chemicals, and we are not experiencing spontaneous explosions and fires in everyday life. Bell Chem, your chemical supplier, wants to quell a few chemical myths.
Only chemists use chemicals.
Chemicals are used by everyone every day. From ammonia to the zinc in your sunscreen, chemicals are in your skin care products, foods, medicines, and other products consumed daily.
In manufacturing, chemicals are used within products and act as cleaners to maintain a safe environment for products used by consumers and industries worldwide.
If it is approved, it must be safe.
Chemicals undergo a strong battery of tests under varied conditions to determine their level of safety. If a chemical is flammable, a warning is applied and specific protective advice is recommended. As long as the product is used in accordance with the recommendations, the product is considered safe. This means the end user must read and follow all recommendations and ensure the environment and employees maintain a level of appropriate safety.
Chemicals are all poisonous.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are only two of the organizations responsible for overseeing chemicals. The regulations they mandate are followed closely by manufacturers to ensure use of those chemicals is safe for everyday citizens. Many chemicals are considered safe in small doses or in specific situations but extremely dangerous in large amounts or outside the given boundaries. In other words, it may depend on the dosage as to whether a chemical is poisonous or not.
If it looks safe, it is safe.
Think about a fine, powdery white substance. It could be powdered sugar, or it could be white phosphorous, or possibly silica dust. While the first substance is considered non-toxic, the other 2 are deadly to humans if ingested or inhaled.
Likewise, some substances are not dangerous unless they are placed near an open flame, in which case they could combust. The majority of chemicals are innocuous when used correctly.
Bell Chem is your chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us a message.
Different Types of Sugars Used in the Food Industry
When most consumers picture sugar, their instinct is to envision table sugar, or sucrose. However, sucrose is only one small part of the picture. In fact, sugar has 4 main categories (simple and complex sugars) and sub-varieties to fulfill every niche in the food industry. Food ingredient supplier Bell Chem wants you to recognize sugar in its multiple forms to give you the most knowledge when you order your supplies from us.
But first, why do manufacturers add sugar as an ingredient? Surprisingly, sugar has more impact than mere sweetness. Sugar acts as a thickener, especially when paired with pectin. It also controls the boiling and freezing points of specific foods, which aids in searing and crystallization, respectively. When sugar binds with water, it prevents microbial growth. Sugar also enhances taste by countering the bitterness of other ingredients. It changes the aromas of some foods and creates a different mouthfeel to still other foods.
The four broad categories of sugars are below.
Glucose
Any carbohydrates consumed are broken down into glucose, the human body’s natural fuel. Glucose feeds the cells, energizing every body function. Plants also rely more heavily on glucose than any other natural sugar. Within this category, there are two types of sugar:
Maltose: Two bonded glucose molecules create maltose. Maltose naturally occurs when carbohydrates are broken down, such as when grains break down complex carbohydrates as they sprout (sprouted grains).
Galactose: Take the chemical elements within glucose, rearrange them, and galactose may be the new creation. Galactose naturally occurs in avocados and dairy products, among many other foods.
Fructose
Fruits, honey, and root vegetables contain fructose as their sweetest sugar. The most renowned instance of fructose is as an ingredient in high-fructose corn syrup, which consists of fructose, dextrose, and scant amounts of oligosaccharides.
Lactose
Mammalian milk contains enough lactose to meet the needs of growing offspring. Lactose is composed of glucose and galactose to meet those needs. The latter produces lactic acid, which aids in fermentation’s chemical breakdown in the process of cheese- and yogurt making.
Sucrose
The similar chemical properties of sucrose and glucose make this sugar easily digestible. In fact, sucrose is an equal measure of glucose and fructose molecules. The main source of sucrose in food industries is sugarcane or sugar beets.
Bell Chem is your food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including a variety of sugars. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us a message.
Lactic Acid in Food: A Guide to Fermentation
When microorganisms eat, they break down their food and produce gas. When this process occurs in a closed environment, it is called fermentation. Food additive supplier Bell Chem brings you information on lactic acid and the fermentation process.
Of the varied types of fermentation, lactic acid fermentation involves lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or Lactobacillales cultures performing their functions anaerobically – without the oxygen so many other systems find necessary. LAB dine on carbohydrates and produce carbon dioxide and lactic acid. In turn, these by-products affect the taste, texture, and appearance of foods and beverages.
Conditions for Lactic Acid Fermentation
Lactic acid fermentation can be broken into a series of conditions.
Temperature
Fermentation is closely tied to temperature gradients. Higher temperatures lead to expedited fermentation. The ultimate temperature for fermentation is room temperature. Refrigerating products will halt fermentation, which is handy if you wish to stop at a specific point in the process.
Submersion
Whatever it is you are fermenting – fruits, vegetables, legumes – must be fully submerged in water. If your water is chlorinated, let it rest for at least 30 minutes before using it in a fermentation.
Salinity
Adding a nominal amount of salt does not cause a danger to the LAB and is encouraged to enhance flavor. Be aware that salt will slow the rate of fermentation; if you wish to regulate LAB activity, salt is your friend.
Some fruits and vegetables are naturally self-brining; add 2% of the total weight of your product in salt and seal the jar tightly. The salt pulls the water from the product (osmosis), and the water will naturally fill the sealed jar. These products do not need water added to the jar, only salt and the product to be fermented.
For products with a lower water content, add water and a 3% - 4% salt-to-product-weight ratio. Using larger-sized or whole products generally requires this method.
Size
The greater the surface area of the product you are fermenting, the more rapidly it will ferment. This means smaller chunks of carrots will ferment more rapidly than simply cutting a carrot in half and jamming it into the jar.
Sugar
Sugar is a carbohydrate broken down to a smaller form. Since LAB consumes carbohydrates, sugar is an easier form of food for them. The more sugar added to a fermentation, the more quickly the fermentation will occur. Not all sugar will be consumed by the LAB, and the result will be a balance of sweet and acidic flavors.
Benefits of Lactic Acid Fermentation
The benefits of lactic acid fermentation are far reaching. Fermented foods are great for your gut biome, have intriguing flavors, and are much easier to locate now that the general population has developed a fondness for kombucha, sourdough bread, and yogurt.
Bell Chem is a food additive supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Sodium Citrate in Food Production: Molecular Gastronomy and Beyond
Sometimes an ingredient is so versatile it becomes a go-to product added to almost every food. Sodium citrate is one of those favored ingredients. While you may recognize a few of sodium citrate’s many roles in food production, Bell Chem, your food ingredient supplier, wishes to share more the wonders of sodium citrate.
As the sodium salt of citric acid, sodium citrate adds a tart, salty flavor to products while remaining colorless and odorless. Its tiny white crystals do not detract from a food’s overall appearance. For being so low key physically, the chemical properties of sodium citrate lead to spherification of the solvent to which it is added – a culinary masterpiece of chemistry!
Emulsification
Water and oil will not combine unless an emulsifier is added. Sodium citrate allows these two opposing ingredients to coalesce in cheese products, salad dressings, and sauces, giving each mouthful the same flavors. In cheese, calcium citrate helps maintain a smooth, creamy texture upon melting.
pH regulation
If the acidity of a food or beverage is not within proper limits, the taste and texture may suffer. Sodium citrate adjusts the pH to control acidity in carbonated beverages. In highly acidic formulations, sodium citrate raises the pH above 5 to allow for gelification and foam. The correct pH also enhances the shelf life and preservation of products. In ice creams and other frozen desserts, sodium citrate improves the creamy smoothness while inhibiting ice crystal formation.
Buffer
Surprisingly, when the pH is not extremely acidic, sodium citrate acts as a buffer, hindering drastic changes in pH. Stabilization of pH in canning and pickling, even in the acidic range, prevents microbial growth leading to spoilage.
Chelation
In the dairy industry in particular and other industries overall, sodium citrate acts as a chelating agent, stimulating antioxidant function to deter spoilage of products. This sequestration of chemicals is also key to sodium citrate’s molecular gastronomy function: sequestration forms gels without the use of other chemicals, such as calcium.
Bell Chem is a food ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including sodium citrate. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Understanding How Chemicals Enhance Personal Care Products
Personal care products range from cosmetics to topical medications designed to clean, protect, and maintain skin and hair. With approximately 12,500 ingredients from which to choose in the United States, manufacturers can create millions of unique personal care products. Statistically, women in the United States use an average of 9 to 15 personal care products a day, equating to 515 specific chemicals apiece. Bell Chem, your personal care raw ingredient supplier, wants to shed light on the most prominent categories of ingredients within these products to assist in better understanding the role of personal care products in everyday life.
Colors
Whether consumers are hiding a blemish or applying lipstick, color plays a large role in daily personal care. Ingredients may be mineral (such as iron oxide or manganese) or natural (plant-based ingredients such as beet powder or cochineal extract), and pigments can be broken down into organic or inorganic compounds (primarily metal oxides, such as magnesium oxide and potassium oxide).
Fragrances
While some consumers prefer the odor of soap as their fragrance, others choose a floral scent or a musk odor. These scents are properties of chemicals or natural oils. For citrus, not much tops d-limonene. Toothpaste and mouthwash manufacturers frequently choose spearmint or peppermint oils. Aldehydes are the basis of many synthetic perfumes, such as citronella, orange, rose, and vanilla.
Preservatives
The use of preservatives is essential for clean, safe ingredients since preservatives inhibit the growth of bacteria, fungi, and yeast. Salicylic acid and EDTA are frequently used as personal care preservatives.
Surfactants
By lowering the surface tension of water, surfactants have the ability to quickly combine water and soap to gently remove oils and grease from the skin. Surfactants include stearyl alcohol, polysorbates, trolamine, and magnesium stearate. Emulsifiers are a category of surfactants that stabilize fine droplets of oil within a product. An emulsifier helps treat itchy, scaly skin by packing the areas between skin cells. Emulsifiers form a physical barrier atop the epidermis, holding in moisture. Glycerin and mineral oil are stunning examples of emulsifiers.
Thickeners
When a tube dispenses a watery substance, the situation can quickly become disastrous. A thickener ensures uniform consistency. Varieties of thickeners include lipid thickeners (stearic acid and carnauba wax), naturally derived thickeners (guar gum and xanthan gum), mineral thickeners (silica and maltodextrin), and synthetic thickeners (propylene glycol alginate).
Bell Chem is a personal care raw ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including a vast array of personal care products. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Understanding the Role of Sulfuric Acid in Water Treatment
Many professionals know how important sulfuric acid is in water treatment, but not nearly as many truly understand the varied roles sulfuric acid plays in maintaining healthy, clean drinking water. Bell Chem, the water treatment ingredient supplier, wishes to showcase sulfuric acid’s many water treatment tasks.
Pulling moisture from water?
It seems contradictory that sulfuric acid is able to pull moisture from potable water, but it does. When sulfuric acid is added to water, it causes the acid to completely dissociate, forming a gas in an exothermic reaction as it bonds to water molecules. As the moisture is removed, the particles and contaminants within that moisture is likewise pulled asunder. The freed particles link together, forming much heavier particles that sink to the bottom of the tank. In other words, the power of sulfuric acid is, in the long run, as a desiccant.
Metals No More
Sulfuric acid reacts exothermically with corrosive metals, such as iron, calcium, and manganese, eliminating the metal ions while forming hydrogen gas.
pH Adjustment
As an acid, sulfuric acid can pull a high wastewater pH down to neutral levels where water can be harmlessly digested.
Disinfectant/Odor Eliminator
Water entering a treatment facility often contains tiny bits of particulate matter missed by alternate treatments. As a strong acid, sulfuric acid eliminates malodorous situations as it dissolves the pathogens that cause the odors. When bacteria and viruses are quelled, the water is disinfected and the public is much healthier. The Journal of Water Research published a study stating sulphuric acid eliminates 99% of the waterborne bacteria they tested.
Neutralizing Alkaline Substances
Sulfuric acid neutralizes chlorine, which is listed as a strong pollutant. While chlorine is a commonly used chemical in water treatment, it must be largely eliminated by the time it reaches the consumer. Likewise, calcium carbonate forms a precipitate when in the presence of sulfuric acid, flocculating harmlessly to the base of the tank to be removed.
Bell Chem is your water treatment ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or send us an online message.
Understanding the Different Types of USP Ingredients
Reading labels is vitally important, but it can be confusing. Adding to this is a completely different category of ingredients, specifically, USP ingredients. What are USP ingredients, and how do they differ from traditional ingredients? Your USP ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, is happy to shed light on USP ingredients.
The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) was founded more than 200 years ago to oversee the medicines, supplements, and foods Americans consume. Following quality standards open to public inspection, the USP engages in science to supply medicines meeting strict guidelines on purity, identity, performance, and strength, thereby delivering quality medicines around the world while increasing consumer health.
Prescription Medicine Quality Standards
The purity and strength of prescription medicines cannot be overlooked. Many diseases require precise dosages, and USP ensures every dose is accurate. The quality standards for prescriptions fall under three categories: general chapters, material reference standards, and monographs.
General chapters outline product development procedures to any industry involved in prescription medicine or devices.
Material reference standards is a quality control step guaranteeing medications — along with their individual ingredients — meet USP testing requirements.
Monographs address quality expectations — content uniformity, identity and strength — for medicines and medical products. These written directives are required by the FDA to ensure all quality standards are met or exceeded.
Components of a monograph
Here’s a more detailed look at the components of a monograph:
Identity: A medicine’s label means nothing if no quality control exists. USP monographs demand the ingredients and substances within the medication are what is claimed on the medicine’s packaging per the Food and Drug Administration’s approval.
Strength: A bottle of prescription medication has a small range of variability for each tablet within each bottle. USP regulations test for those narrow ranges to verify the medication meets the FDA’s guidelines.
Purity: Some medications allow impurities in small amounts, when applicable. USP monographs explain the amount of those impurities, along with how they were measured and tested.
Performance: Extensive laboratory testing on how a medication affects the human body is written on this section of the USP monograph.
Meeting or exceeding the monograph expectations grants the medication USP approval once the facility’s medication is approved by the FDA.
Examples of USP tests
USP testing encompasses many aspects of medicine, from machinery to medications. Many of these tests are not necessarily a huge part of Bell Chem’s daily routine. However, several are vital for USP-worthy products. For instance, as a test for uniformity of nutritional and dietary supplements, many of Bell Chem’s products fall under the category USP 2021/2022. The testing includes checking the total number of oxygen-dependent bacteria in supplements.
Bell Chem is your USP ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or send us an online message.
The Significance of Safety Data Sheets and Understanding Chemical Labels
Every time you open a chemical from Bell Chem – or any other industrial chemical supplier – you are sure to see a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). These sheets are mandated by Hazard Communication Standard regulations. Most consumers simply toss these away before exploring their chemicals, but the insertion of Safety Data Sheets is vitally important for the safety and health of those interacting with chemicals. Learn how to properly read and utilize Safety Data Sheets with this simple guide.
Every SDS you pick up will contain the same 16 sections in the same order for you to quickly discern which area you need to access. Chemicals are often dangerous, and you do not want to waste precious time searching for the solution for a spill within the entire document. Familiarize yourself with each section to ensure you can act quickly.
These are the 16 sections you’ll find in the document:
Identification: gives the chemical name and manufacturer.
Hazard identification: highlights hazard classifications for each chemical, pictograms for hazards, and precautions.
Composition/information on ingredients: gives the chemical’s concentration, chemical abstracts service to allow a compendium of aliases for each chemical, and compound/mixture information.
First aid measures: gives a step-by-step guide for symptoms and effects as well as immediate medical treatment.
Fire-fighting measures: explains the equipment necessary to quell a fire caused by this chemical and provides information on the proper personal equipment to employ.
Accidental release measures: shows how to contain a small or large spill or leak.
Handling and storage: explains how to properly store chemicals and how they should be manipulated.
Exposure controls and personal protection: provides exposure limits and threshold values; it also recommends proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for each chemical.
Physical and chemical properties: gives physical and chemical characteristics such as odor, solubility, melting and boiling points, flammability, and more.
Stability and reactivity: includes how stable the chemical is under normal conditions along with how it will react when conditions are not normal. It also punctuates in which manner chemicals should not be handled.
Toxicological information: explains both short- and long-term inhalation effects.
Ecological information: focuses on how the chemical affects the environment.
Disposal consideration: tells how to safely dispose of the chemical.
Transport information: gives the proper shipping name, transport hazard class, and safe-handling practices while in transit.
Regulatory information is specific health, safety, and environmental regulations.
Other information: tacks on the date the SDS was prepared and when information is updated.
Learning these categories enables your employees to quickly peruse SDSs either online or in your SDS book in case of emergency. Keep your employees and their surroundings safe. Learn to properly read your SDSs and train your employees to recognize the importance of these safety sheets. It could mean the difference between a minor accident and a major emergency.
Bell Chem is your industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or send us an online message.
Guar Gum in Cosmetic and Hair Care Products
Guar gum (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) is not a gum or sap at all; instead, it is the seed from the guar plant. Guar gum is an elongated, fibrous chain of bonded carbohydrate molecules composed of galactose and mannose.
Guar gum – also referred to as guaran – is renowned for its viscosity and many manufacturers use it for its binding and thickening ability. Personal care raw ingredient supplier Bell Chem wants you to learn how to incorporate guar gum into your cosmetic and hair care products.
Guar gum in hair care products
The thickening power of guar gum is evident in hair care products. Guar gum thoroughly coats individual hairs in a transparent sheen, leaving a fuller, silkier appearance. This coating serves a second function: it strengthens the hair and protects it from breakage and split ends. Exposure to sun and wind can dry hair, but guar gum protects hair by sealing in moisture. In winter’s dry months, guar gum also protects against frizzy and staticy hair. Unmanageable hair is tamed with guar gum.
Guar gum in cosmetics
Another property in guar gum is its ability to suspend other particles within a mixture, giving a similar amount of each ingredient with every use, such as in toothpaste. Toothpaste tubes generally have little residue once they are used because guar gum resists adherence to the inside of the tube as it aids in easing paste out in measured doses. Add to this guar gum’s natural whitening power, it is no wonder so many manufacturers add guar gum to their toothpastes.
When mixed with either hot or cold water, guar gum powder bonds with water molecules to form a versatile paste. Depending on the use, guar gum can be mixed with a small amount of water for a viscous mixture, such as a face mask, or with a larger amount of water, such as in a shampoo.
As a skincare ingredient, guar gum seals in moisture and allows skin cells to link closely together. In shaving creams and gels, guar gum decreases friction, giving a smoother, closer shave. It also acts as a surfactant in soaps and shaving creams, producing suds for a better clean as it whisks away debris and grime.
Guar gum goodness
With the push for natural, organic ingredients, guar gum is a star contender. Its gentle formula is hypoallergenic and gentle enough for almost any use.
Need more convincing? Guar gum is also reported to extend the shelf life of the products in which it is an ingredient.
Bell Chem is a personal care raw ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including guar gum. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.
Understanding the Use of Preservatives in Personal Care Products
When most consumers think of preservatives, their mind wanders to packaged foods, not personal care products. Why would manufacturers add preservatives to skin care? Bell Chem, your personal care ingredient supplier, wishes to share information on the uses and reasons preservatives are a vital ingredient in the majority of personal care products.
Why do personal care products need preservatives?
Water-based products have an Achilles’ heel. Kept in a room-temperature environment in a stagnant container, water-borne bacteria, fungi, mold, and other microorganisms quickly multiply. Think about where you use the majority of your personal care products – the steamy, damp bathroom. This exacerbates an already perilous situation. The answer is preservatives to stanch the microbial growth. Knowing this, the only personal care products exempt from the necessity of preservatives are anhydrous products. Even these are not entirely safe since water can be introduced via wet hands or a steamy bathroom, which invites bacterial growth.
Over time, many ingredients within products begin to break down, which can diminish the usefulness of a product. Preservatives act to stabilize those ingredients, which enhances the product’s ability to last a longer amount of time.
What’s in a name?
Recently many consumers have opted out of products containing a long list of chemical-sounding ingredients, and sometimes preservatives are those very words. However, not all preservatives are artificial. Take, for instance, honey. This innocuous ingredient is a preservative since it extends shelf life of products as it deters microbial growth.
Natural preservatives
Glycerin, essential oils, and alcohols are all considered natural preservatives. Their advantages are abundant – they can be used by most of the population, including young children and older adults, and deliver peace of mind to the end user. However, they may alter a product’s smell or performance and increase the cost of production since often up to 30% of the product could consist of preservatives. This cost is passed on to the consumer as a higher price than chemical preservatives.
Chemical preservatives
Noted for their ease of production, chemical preservatives keep products free of contaminants even in your bathroom. These preservatives are stable, predictable, sanitary, and have been tested thoroughly to allay most allergic reactions. Benzyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, and potassium sorbate are all examples of chemical preservatives you can trust.
Bell Chem is your personal care ingredient supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including preservatives for personal care products. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.