Method of preventing or reducing haze in a beverage using silane-treated silica filter media

A method for preventing haze formation and/or reducing haze from a beverage, comprising the steps of:

• a. pre-mixing a beverage sample with silica filter media whose surface active groups have been reacted with one or more silanes having a functional moiety selected from the group consisting of aryl, epoxy, methacrylate, isothiouronium, sulfonate, phosphonate, isocyano, sulfhydryl, carboxylate, carbonyl, and ionic moiety, and applying the mixture to a filtration device,
• b. filtering the beverage sample through the filtration unit comprising the silica filter media,
• c. binding one or more haze-forming substances to the silica filter media, and
• d. collecting the beverage sample in flow through.

A method for preventing haze formation and/or reducing haze from a beverage, comprising the steps of:

• a. filtering a beverage sample through silica filter media whose surface active groups have been reacted with one or more silanes,
• b. binding one or more haze-forming substances to the silica filter media, and
• c. collecting the beverage sample in flow through,
• wherein said silane-reacted silica filter media have a general formula selected from the group consisting of
• wherein 1≦x≦3;
• R1 is alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, aryloxy, carboxy, cyano, alkyl ester, or aryl ester;
• R2 is substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkaryl, alkcycloalkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, cycloalkaryl, cycloakenylaryl, alkcycloalkaryl, alkcycloalkenyaryl, or arylalkaryl;
• R3 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkaryl, alkcycloalkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, cycloalkaryl, cycloakenylaryl, alkcycloalkaryl, alkcycloalkenyaryl, arylakaryl, alkoxy, halogen, hydroxy, aryloxy, alkyl ester, aryl ester, carboxy, sulphonate, cyano, epoxy, phosphonate, isothiouronium, thiouronium, alkyl epoxy, or alkylisothiouronium;
• wherein the hydrogen of said alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroaryl, and heterocyclic is optionally substituted by halogen, hydroxy, carboxy, or cyano;
• R6 is hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkaryl, alkcycloalkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, cycloalkaryl, cycloakenylaryl, alkcycloalkaryl, alkcycloalkenyaryl, ether, ester or arylalkaryl;
• R4 and R9 are substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkaryl, alkcycloalkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroaryl, heterocyclic, cycloalkaryl, cycloakenylaryl, alkcycloalkaryl, alkcycloalkenyaryl, or arylalkaryl radicals capable of forming two covalent attachments.