General Properties
Carrageenan is generally a white to yellow-brown powder, odorless and tasteless, and some products have a slight seaweed flavor. The gel formed by carrageenan is thermoreversible, that is, it melts into a solution after heating, and forms a gel again when the solution is cooled.
Physical and Chemical Properties
Carrageenan is non-toxic and has the characteristics of coagulation, solubility, stability, viscosity and reactivity. Therefore, it can be used as a coagulant, thickener, emulsifier, suspending agent, adhesive, molding agent and stabilizer in food industry production.
Application in the food industry
Carrageenan has been used as a natural food additive for many years. It is a harmless plant fiber that can help digestion and has a wide range of uses. Commercial production of carrageenan in foreign countries began in the 1920s, and China began to produce commercial carrageenan in 1985, of which 80% is used in food or food-related industries.
Carrageenan can form semi-solid gels. It is an excellent coagulant for making fruit jelly. It solidifies at room temperature. The formed gel is semi-solid, highly transparent, and not easy to collapse. It can also be used to add nutrients to make jelly powder. When eating, it is very convenient to dissolve it in water. It can also be used as a coagulant for milk pudding and fruit pudding. It has the characteristics of low water secretion, fine texture, low viscosity, and good heat transfer. When cooking bean paste with yokan, carrageenan can be added as a coagulant. Canned fruit jelly made with carrageenan as a coagulant is very convenient to eat and carry. It contains fruit and has better nutritional content than ordinary fruit jelly. Carrageenan can also be used as a coagulant for canned meat, and can also be used as a stabilizer, suspending agent, forming agent, clarifier, thickener, adhesive, etc.
When making transparent fruit soft candy, if carrageenan is used as a coagulant, the soft candy has high transparency, is refreshing and does not stick to teeth. Adding carrageenan to general hard candy can make the product texture uniform and smooth, and increase stability.
Application prospects
Carrageenan, a pure natural substance, has excellent properties such as strong reactivity, the ability to form gels and high-viscosity solutions, and high stability. Among all water-soluble polymers, it is unique in its reactivity with proteins. Satisfactory elasticity, transparency and solubility can expand its application range. Its safe and non-toxic properties have been confirmed by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, which believes that carrageenan should be widely used in the food industry, chemical industry, biochemistry, medical research and other fields. Therefore, in recent years, carrageenan has developed rapidly at home and abroad, and the demand has increased greatly. Its unique function cannot be replaced by other resins, which has led to the rapid development of the carrageenan industry. Now the annual total output of carrageenan in the world has far exceeded the output of agar.
Carrageenan was first widely used in Europe and the United States, and the global production of carrageenan ranks second among seaweed-extracted edible gums. In recent years, my country has included carrageenan in the catalog of food additives. Carrageenan has also been included in the food standard dosage instructions of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. In short, carrageenan meets Chinese and foreign food standards and has broad application prospects.
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Post time: Nov-09-2024