Nonionic surfactants comprising a mixture of fatty acid esters of sorbitol
and sorbitol anhydrides comprising predominantly the mono, di- or tri
ester condensed with approximately 15 or more moles of an alkylene oxide
in combination with an effective defoamer and a water soluble diluent form
surprisingly useful and effective low foaming rinse agent composition or
concentrate. The rinse agent can achieve adequate sheeting in common
aqueous rinses at typical rinse temperatures at a concentration of the
nonionic sorbitan ester in water at concentrations about 500 parts of the
fully formulated rise agent per million parts of water. The rinse agents
can be used in a rinse cycle in common warewashing machines after washing
with commonly available warewashing compositions. The rinse agents can
take the form of thickened pourable or semi-pourable aqueous liquids or
cast solid materials packaged within a disposable wrapper, capsule or
other package. The preferred form of the rinse agent is a pourable or
pumpable aqueous concentrate. The uniqueness of the invention relates to
the fact that all components are not expected to be active as sheeting
agents and are approved as food additives thereby eliminating any health
concerns associated with residual deposits of the composition on cleaned
ware.