Human Nutrition - BASF ChemTrade

Human Nutrition
®

In vino veritas.

In wine lies the truth.
No discoloration.
The first step in wine judging is the critical look,
because the eye participates in the wine experience.
It is no coincidence that the color and
transparency of wine are often compared to
rubies or gold. Connoisseurs prefer pure, clear
wines of high quality. Enjoyment, especially of
white wines, is diminished by brown or pink discoloration.
The bitter tastes and discoloration
occurring during the process of vinification are
caused in part by so-called polyphenols.
The consumer does not like
impure wine. Neither do we.
Divergan ® is an interlinked insoluble polyvinyl pryrolidine
(PVPP). For more than ten years it has
been a recognized enological procedure for the
treatment of wine and sparkling wine. Both BASF
Divergan ® products are manufactured according
to a special polymerization procedure. The ensuing
dense molecular structure makes PVPP
insoluble in water and all standard solvents. A
clear thing for the wine.
Divergan ® comes and goes.
But not on its own.
How does that work? PVPP is extremely choosy
about relationships with other materials. Its only
friends are our enemies, the polyphenols, which
it loves to adsorb. Together they form sediment
and then remain conspicuously absent.
2/3

Don’t fish in troubled waters.
Just fish the troubles out.
Wine fascinates us with its lively variations of
color and the play of light striking it. But sometimes
a shadow falls across, which also can be
caused by phenolic compounds.
They are set free through the immense pressure
employed in the peeling, pitting and stemming
process.
In part the enological processes themselves, for
example prolonged fermenting of the must, also
release more polyphenols into the juice.
Poor color and bitter tastes in
wine can have many causes:
• Intense maceration of the must during the
runoff process if the screw-conveyor and
the pump of pumping systems are not well
coordinated
• Too short (smaller than 90 mm) or too long
must lines, too many bends or valves
• The must is allowed to stand too long
• The pressing process is not suited to the
grapes, or is too intense
• High rot concentration in the harvested
grapes
• Insufficient or lack of treatment and prefiltration
of the must
If the polyphenols oxidize during vinification, discoloration
and bitterness can result, diminishing
the optical and sensory qualities of the wine.
In the extreme cases, the polyphenols react with
oxygen and other components of the wine such
as albumen or iron, producing instable complex
compounds. This leads to over-colored or cloudy
wines, or wines that age too quickly.

Let’s look at it this way:
You shouldn’t
see anything.
Unfortunately, some natural processes see that
somewhat differently. The following reactions
of the polyphenols lead to discoloration in
white wine:
• Flavanoids and other polyphenols are converted
through oxidization to unpleasant or
astringent flavors.
• Browning and changes in color (pinking) are
caused by oxidation of leucoanthocyanides.
• The reaction of tannins and albumen or iron
leads to clouding.
Furthermore, must from regions with vintage
related middle to high botrytis contamination can
be negatively affected by the resulting metabolic
byproducts. This can also diminish the quality of
the wines.
Wine is a part of good taste.
And good taste is a part of wine.
In the past few years the science of enology has
developed an entire series of concepts for the
elimination of these wine flaws. Unfortunately
they can also change the character of the wine,
sometimes quite drastically.
For example, oxidation of the must can result in
flat, less aromatic wines. The entire vinification
process, as well as the separate prolongation of
the initial process, can produce lean or thin
wines when the grapes are not fully ripe.
And what about polyphenols?
Purification is necessary!
There is a clear and simple answer for the
problem of discoloration. Direct reduction of
polyphenols in wine and must leaves the character
of the wine intact, preserving its integrity.
Only a small amount of Divergan ® adsorbs polyphenols
in white and rosé wines as well as base
wines for sparkling wines, and does so without
harming their sensory potential.
The treatment of red wine is also possible,
allowing the character and bouquet of the
wine to develop without disturbing the color.
4/5

We take something out, so that
there is more
for you left in.
Curative or preventative – how
Divergan ® works.
The Divergan ® products can be added to the wine
that is being treated, either directly in powder
form or as a suspension. For the latter, a 10%
suspension of Divergan ® F is dissolved in a corresponding
amount of the wine to be treated or
in water. After 30 minutes developing time during
which it is stirred often, the PVPP suspension is
poured into the treatment vat and mixed thoroughly
into the contents of the vat.
Normal dosage
For preventative measures in white must or white
wine use a Divergan ® concentration between
10g/hl and 30 g/hl. The amount of Divergan ®
needed is established, for example, by browning
tests. For treatment against bitterness use
Divergan ® F in proportions of 15-25 g/hl.
Dosage for wine damaged by oxidization is
30-50 g/hl. In extreme cases, a higher concentration
may be necessary. For the most effective
treatment, must should be clarified and wine
finely filtered. Contact times from 20 to 60 minutes
are sufficient with sufficient mixing, whereby
longer contact times are also possible without a
negative effect on the wine. With shorter contact
times, as may be used with Divergan ® F, the
polymer should be added as a suspension after
being allowed to develop.
To save time, the wine can be filtered before the
sedimentation of the PVPP is complete. The
contact time, however, can also be lengthened
until the refiner, for example Divergan ® F, has
settled completely.

When to use refiners during the winemaking process
15—30 %
marc
5—10 %
most lees or
3—5 % floates
lees
2—5 %
yeast lees
fine lees,
wine scale,
bases for
sparkling wine
(Modified according
to Binder)
harvest
pressing
must refining
pre-filtration
or
flotation
controlled fermentation
1st cutting
treatment and
improvement measures
taste
refining
fining and
filtering
bottling
Bentonit, Gelatin,
Divergan ¤ (PVPP),
activated carbon
sedimentation
8—24 hours
gelatine, gas
or air
nutrients, fermentation
aids, refrigeration
Bentonit, albumen,
Divergan ¤ (PVPP),
enzymes,
activated carbon
treated with
Divergan ¤ (PVPP)
Perlite, micro silicia,
filter plates
6/7

Fine Chemicals
With vitamins, carotenoids, enzymes, and other products
like caffeine or the amino acid lysine, we are the leading producer
of additives for both the food and feed industries. We
provide a valuable contribution to healthy nutrition and
ecologically efficient livestock production. Active
ingredients, a complete UV filter assortment, aroma chemicals
and functional polymers make us partners for the
pharmaceutical, cosmetic, perfumery and aroma industries.
A reliable alliance with our customers is based on innovative
products, consistent quality management and technologically
leading production systems. We are utilizing our
expertise in all important applied technologies and in the
formulation of additives and active materials for the further
development of our product range. Our customers can
obtain a large proportion of their requirements for strategic
raw materials from a single source.
Human Nutrition
We offer our customers in the sectors food, beverages and
nutritional supplements an attractive and extensive product
assortment including essential nutrients, nutraceuticals and
processing aids. We support our customers to satisfy the
rising consumer expectations for healthy nutrition. Our highvalue
products and formulations are designed for efficient
processing and are distinguished by their consistently high
quality.
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Human Nutrition
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Germany
Fine Chemicals
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