Safer Choice reviews all ingredients in products qualified to carry the label, including antifoaming agents or defoamers. For Safer Choice review, the structure and chemistry of a particular defoamer will determine the appropriate criteria by which it will be evaluated. For example, a polyethylene/polypropylene glycol ether-based defoamer will be evaluated against the Surfactants Criteria if it has surfactant properties, while a polyacrylate or silicone-based defoamer would most likely be evaluated against the Polymer Criteria. Defoamers that do not fit into a specific functional class as defined by Safer Choice criteria will be evaluated against the Master Criteria.

A defoamer is a chemical additive used to remove or hinder the formation of foam. Foaming occurs when some detergents are used with mechanical agitation. Defoamers are used in a variety of products where foaming may interfere with product or equipment performance, such as in dishwasher detergents and industrial process liquids.