Thickeners, also known as gelling is a rheological additives, in daily work and life often in contact with, widely used in food, coatings, adhesives, cosmetics, detergents, printing and dyeing, rubber, medicine and other fields. Among them, it is also called paste or food glue when used in food. Most of the thickeners belong to hydrophilic polymer compounds, generally using the physical expansion of the expansion of the chemical reaction of the two principles to play the effect of thickening and viscosity. Thickener molecules contain many hydrophilic groups, such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino and carboxylate, etc., which can hydrate with water molecules. Usually, food thickeners are polymer hydrophilic colloidal substances, most of which are extracted or processed from natural plants and animals. Sources of food thickeners
Thickeners are added in very small quantities in food engineering, usually only a few thousandths of the total weight of the product, but can be both effective and scientifically healthy in improving the stability of the food system. Most food thickeners are chemically composed of natural polysaccharides or their derivatives, which are widely distributed in nature. Currently available sources of thickeners used in the food industry can be broadly categorized into two types, namely, natural thickener grade and synthetic thickeners.
Natural thickeners
Thickeners derived from natural plants and animals. Algae produced gum and its salts, such as alginate, agar, carrageenan, etc.; tree exudate formation of gum, such as gum arabic; plant seeds made of gum, such as guar gum, locust bean gum, etc.; plants made of certain tissues of the gum, such as starch, pectin, konjac gum, etc.; animal secretion or its tissues made of gum, such as gelatin, casein; microorganisms reproduction of secretion of the gum, such as xanthan gum, junction of cold gum, etc..
Synthetic thickeners
Artificially synthesized by chemical methods of food thickeners. Natural thickening agent modified substances and pure synthetic thickeners. Such as: propylene glycol alginate, calcium hydroxymethyl cellulose, sodium hydroxymethyl cellulose, sodium starch phosphate, sodium starch glycolate. Pure chemical synthesis: sodium polyacrylate, sodium carboxymethylcellulose and so on.
Application of thickeners in food
The role of thickeners in food is mainly to improve the viscosity of food or with the formation of gels, to maintain the relative stability of the system of hydrophilic substances, so as to change the physical properties of the food, giving the food viscous, suitable for the taste, and both emulsification, stabilization, or to make the role of the substance in a state of suspension. Application of thickeners in food
Application in meat processing
At present, the thickening agent used in meat products are mainly starch, modified starch, soy protein, gelatin, agar, xanthan gum, carrageenan, guar gum, composite edible gum and poultry eggs. The use of food thickeners can improve the taste of meat products, and increase the adhesion of meat products and water retention, reduce fat precipitation, improve yield.
For example, adding soy protein in ham products can improve its yield, increase the protein content, so that the product shows a good shape; in the canned meat to add gelatin, can improve the product surface gloss, increase product elasticity; in the square ham, luncheon meat and other minced meat products to add xanthan gum can significantly improve the tenderness of the product, the color and flavor, and to improve water retention of meat products, thereby improving the yield.
Application in noodle products
Thickeners in noodle products are a class of commonly used food additives, which can improve the toughness and smoothness of noodles, reduce the cooking loss of noodles, increase the bite, improve the taste, and greatly enhance the comprehensive quality of noodle products.
Noodles in the application of thickeners are mainly xanthan gum, sodium alginate, guar gum, konjac gum, sodium hydroxymethylcellulose and so on. Sodium alginate in the noodles in the general amount of 1% - 1.5%, can improve the product taste, improve the degree of maturity, improve the elasticity and plasticity of the dough; guar gum can increase the viscoelasticity of the noodles, improve the cooking resistance, improve the surface finish, etc.; konjac gum can improve the viscoelasticity of the noodles and gluten, improve the texture, increase the bite and other effects.
Application in jelly drinks
Thickeners in jelly, ice cream, can play a role in thickening, gelling and so on. Such as adding carrageenan jelly elastic and simple preparation process, so instead of agar, gelatin and pectin is widely used in the production of jelly.
Application in other foods
As a food additive, thickeners are widely used in the food industry. In addition to the above food applications, can also be used in preservation, canning, health care, confectionery and other foods. For example, adding sodium alginate in health food has the effect of inhibiting the rise of cholesterol, total fat and total fatty acid concentration in serum and liver; agar, carrageenan, pectin and so on as a gelling agent for the production of fudge, with good elasticity and toughness, but also can be made into a variety of flavors; meat flavors added to the thickener has a thickening, salt resistance, temperature and other roles.
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