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Summer wouldn’t be summer without potassium derivatives. From healthy meals with friends and family to fun in the water, potassium derivatives help to improve the quality of our everyday life. Let’s take a look at the role played by potassium derivatives during a typical summer day.

Starting off with a healthy breakfast

Also known as the most important meal of the day, breakfast kickstarts your metabolism, replenishes your energy and gives your body’s levels of fibre, vitamins, and minerals a boost so you’re ready for the day ahead. Plus, a healthy breakfast has been proven to help your ability to concentrate in the short term, as well as helping with better weight management and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease in the long term.

A healthy breakfast often includes fruit or cereals which rely on potassium derivatives. The process to dry fruit uses potassium carbonate, for example, as part of a pre-treatment to initiate a controlled and time-optimized drying process. Further up the food chain, potassium carbonate solution is used in the liquid complex fertilizers that grow crops such as cereals that are then used to make bread or breakfast cereals.

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is often substituted by potassium bicarbonate in baking recipes as it doesn’t contain sodium so is recommended for people who have heart or circulatory issues, or those who are attempting to limit their consumption of sodium. When used in baking, potassium bicarbonate gives a light, airy texture in cakes, biscuits, doughnuts, pancakes, and waffles.

Want to know more? Read our earlier blog on potassium derivatives used in baking.

Enjoying a barbecue lunch

A barbecue is a great way to spend time outside enjoying the company of friends and family over a relaxed meal. Potassium derivatives are used in many food applications that help make your barbecue a success.

Potassium citrate is a naturally occurring food preservative that is often added to a wide range of food and drink to keep them fresher for longer. It also helps improve the acidic flavour of some carbonated drinks, especially diet sodas.

When it comes to chocolate in desserts and treats, it’s important to control the alkalisation process to ensure the desired flavour and colour. Potassium carbonate is frequently used for nib alkalisation, the most common way to maintain the maximum aroma and colour intensity of chocolate.

And, if that isn’t enough, potassium sorbate is frequently used to extend the shelf-life of food and beverages by preventing mould, yeast, and microbes to form. It can be found in cakes, icing, beverage syrups, cheese, dried fruit, margarine, pie fillings, wine, and baked goods.

Interested in discovering more about how potassium derivatives are used in food applications? Take a look at our earlier blogs on potassium citrate keeping your food fresh, how potassium carbonate is used in chocolate, and the role of potassium derivates in baking.

Relaxing in the sun

When the weather heats up, it’s great to cool off in the water. Chlorine, a potassium derivative, keeps swimming water healthy and clear. By killing potentially harmful germs that may be present in the water, controlling organic debris and preventing algae growth, chlorine ensures the swimming pool is a healthy and fun place to be.

In warm weather, it’s vital to protect your skin from the sun. Potassium hydroxide is used in a variety of personal care products, including suntan lotions and after sun cream, as well as moisturisers that keep your skin healthy.

Investing in a good pair of sunglasses is recommended to protect your eyes from damage caused by the sun. And potassium derivates are at work here too. Depending on how it is used, potassium carbonate can help give glass exceptional durability and strength, as well as a high refractive index.

Discover more about the use of chlorine in swimming pools, how potassium carbonate is used to make sunglasses, and the importance of potassium hydroxide in suntan and skincare products that help keep your skin moisturized after sunbathing.

An aperitif in the company of friends and family

Sitting on a terrace and enjoying the evening with some friends and family is a wonderful ending to a summer day. And it’s even better with an aperitif and some snacks.

If you enjoy a glass of wine or champagne, potassium metabisulfite is essential for extending the longevity of wine and preserving its flavour. Potassium metabisulfite is a food additive that preserves the natural colour of food and protects against bacteria. In wine it is an antioxidant, removing any oxygen suspended in the wine to slow down aging.

Potassium derivatives are also used in non-alcoholic drinks. Acesulfame potassium, also known as Ace-K, has a very sweet taste making it a good substitute for sugar in a diverse range of food and beverages.

Lastly, potassium hydroxide is used to produce some snacks that are frequently nibbled with an aperitif. It is used in a variety of different ways, including softening olives and glazing pretzels before baking to make them crisp.

Find out more about the use of potassium metabisulfite in wine and acesulfame potassium in sugar-free beverages.

Contact Vynova

Vynova is a leading European supplier of potassium derivatives with manufacturing sites in Belgium and France. Our potassium derivatives are used in numerous applications that benefit health and improve our quality of life. Find out more about potassium derivatives from Vynova or contact one of our sales representatives here.

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