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blanching agent

blanching agent

7.6
A chemical that removes color from food and cloth to make them white
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : agente blanqueador
  • The textile factory uses a blanching agent to whiten cotton fibers before dyeing.

Examples

  • Adding a blanching agent helps remove natural pigments from the food product.

  • Make sure to handle the blanching agent carefully, as it can be caustic in large quantities.

  • A blanching agent is often used in food processing.

  • Many chefs prefer using a natural blanching agent for their dishes.

  • The textile factory uses a blanching agent to whiten cotton fibers before dyeing.

  • Adding a blanching agent helps remove natural pigments from the food product.

  • Many chefs prefer using a natural blanching agent for their dishes.

Synonyms

bleach
vsblanching agent
49 3.3

A strong liquid used to make things white and kill germs

focuses on removing color and impurities rather than cleaning
whitener
vsblanching agent
2 3.8

A substance that makes teeth or clothes look lighter

specifies removing color and impurities as the method
bleaching agent
vsblanching agent
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A chemical used to make things white or remove their color

also targets impurities as well as removing color

How Strong

oxidizer
  • Specialized
3 7.4
bleach
49 3.3
blanching agent
  • Specialized
7.6
remover
19 3.0
cleaner
108 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

blanch + agent

The phrase is compositionally clear: 'blanching' (making pale/whitening or the cooking process of scalding to remove color) plus 'agent' (a substance that causes an effect) yields a substance that causes blanching. Although 'blanch' can have a specialized culinary sense, the overall meaning is directly derivable from the constituents and would be understandable to a learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Blanching agent comes from blanching meaning 'to make white' and agent meaning something that does the work. Imagine a yellow cloth or a vegetable turning pale after a small chemical treatment — that's why the term means 'a substance used to remove color or impurities'.