Food thickeners used in food

Food thickener is a food additive mainly used to improve and increase consistency of food, keep the color, aroma, taste and stability of the flow and gel food and improve food physical properties. Thickening agents can increase viscosity or gel formation of food, thus change the physical properties of foods, give food sticky and superb taste, as well we role of emulsifying, stabilizing or was suspended.

The commonly used thickeners in beverage production and emulsion stabilizer used thickeners mainly are carboxymethyl cellulose sodium, propylene glycol alginate, carrageenan, xanthan gum, pectin, guar gum, locust bean gum, etc.

Using properties of thickeners

Viscosity property

Most food thickeners in the concentration polarization or lower concentration consistent with Newtonian rheological properties of liquid. It showed pseudoplastic at higher concentrations. With the increase of food thickeners, viscosity of the solution also increases.

Gel properties

When the thickener concentration aboves gel critical concentration, its solution is viscous liquids in warm conditions. But when the temperature decreases, the dispersion medium are all contained in polymer network structure, forming semi-solid substances which does not flow, known as gel.

Xanthan gum is the best thickening stabilizer of soy sauce. It can significantly enhance the color of soy sauce to prevent soy sauce produce precipitation, the usual dose is between 0.05%-0.3%.



Xanthan gum solution miscible with many saline solutions, and the viscosity is not affected. CMC-Na is treated with alkali pulp or cotton wool and then chemically refined form, it is white powder or fibrous material and the major ion fiber vitamin gel.

The raw material of maltodextrin is starch. Low degree hydrolysis by acid or enzymatic to get products with the DE values below 20%. Maltodextrins are low conversion of starch, its molar mass is between starch and starch sugar. Its raw materials are corn, rice, etc.

Edible gelatin is an important ingredient and additive in the food industry, which is often used as a gelling agent, stabilizer, emulsifier, thickener and clarifying agents applied to the production of meat products, cake, ice cream, beer, fruit juice and so on.

Pectin can be applied to the manufacture of jams and jellies; prevent cakes harden; improve cheese quality; manufacture fruit juice powder and so on. Pectin is a natural polymer with good gel and emulsion stability. View more！
Source: https://www.okchem.com/news/food-thickeners-used-food.html