The Stabilizers In Use Today
Stabilizers can help with reducing iciness a-nd extending shelf life in the process of industrial ice cream production. There are many kinds of stabilizers.
1. Locust Bean Gum
Locust bean gum (LBG, also known as carob gum, carob bean gum, carobin, E410) is a thickening agent a-nd a gelling agent used in food technology. It is a galactomannan vegetable gum extracted from the seeds of the carob tree, mostly found in the Mediterranean region. Locust bean gum occurs as a white to yellow-white powder. It consists chiefly of high-molecular-weight hydrocolloidal polysacc-harides, composed of galactose a-nd mannose units combined through glycosidic linkages, which may be described chemically as galactomannan. It is dispersible in either hot or cold water, forming a sol having a pH between 5.4 a-nd 7.0, which may be converted to a gel by the addition of small amounts of sodium borate. The bean, when made into powder, is sweet-with a flavor similar to chocolate - a-nd is used to sweeten foods a-nd as a chocolate substitute, although this carob powder is produced from the fruit pod after removal of seeds, while the gum is produced from the seeds themselves.
2. Guar Gum
Guar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled a-nd screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. Guar gum is more soluble than locust bean gum a-nd is a better stabilizer, as it has more galactose branch points. Unlike locust bean gum, it is not self-gelling.
3. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or cellulose gum is a cellulose derivative with carboxymethyl groups (-CH2-COOH) bound to some of the hydroxyl groups of the glucopyranose monomers that make up the cellulose backbone. It is often used as its sodium salt, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose.
4. Xanthan gum
Xanthan gum is a polysacc-haride secreted by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, used as a food additive a-nd rheology modifier, commonly used as a food thickening agent a-nd a stabilizer. It is composed of pentasacc-haride repeat units, comprising glucose, mannose, a-nd glucuronic acid in the molar ratio 2.0:2.0:1.0. It is produced by the fermentation of glucose, sucrose, or lactose. After a fermentation period, the polysacc-haride is precipitated from a growth medium with isopropyl alcohol, dried, a-nd ground into a fine powder. Later, it is added to a liquid medium to form the gum.
5. Sodium alginate
As a flavorless gum, it is used by the foods industry to increase viscosity a-nd as an emulsifier. It is also used in indigestion tablets a-nd the preparation of dental impressions.
6. Carrageenan
Carrageenans or carrageenins are a family of linear sulphated polysacc-harides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds. They are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, a-nd stabilizing properties. Their main application is in dairy & meat products, due to their strong binding to food proteins. There are three main varieties of carrageenan, which differ in their degree of sulphation. Kappa-carrageenan has one sulphate group per disacc-haride. Iota-carrageenan has two sulphates per disacc-haride. Lambda carrageenan has three sulphates per disacc-haride.
7. Gelatin
Gelatin is a protein of animal origin, was used almost exclusively in the ice cream industry as a stabilizer but has gradually been replaced with polysacc-harides of plant origin due to their increased effectiveness a-nd reduced cost.
Each of the stabilizers has its own c-haracteristics a-nd often, two or more of these stabilizers are used in combination to lend synergistic properties to each other a-nd improve their overall effectiveness. Guar, for example, is more soluble than locust bean gum at cold temperatures, thus it finds more application in HTST pasteurization syste-ms. Carrageenan is not used by itself but rather is used as a secondary colloid to prevent the wheying off of mix which is usually promoted by one of the other stabilizers.
Stabilizer cannot be used ra-ndomly. There are some limitations on the use of stabilizers:
1. production of undesirable melting c-haracteristics, due to too high viscosity.
2. excessive mix viscosity prior to freezing.
3. contribution to a heavy or chewy body.
related articles
Why Ice Cream Needs Stabilizers
1. Locust Bean Gum
Locust bean gum (LBG, also known as carob gum, carob bean gum, carobin, E410) is a thickening agent a-nd a gelling agent used in food technology. It is a galactomannan vegetable gum extracted from the seeds of the carob tree, mostly found in the Mediterranean region. Locust bean gum occurs as a white to yellow-white powder. It consists chiefly of high-molecular-weight hydrocolloidal polysacc-harides, composed of galactose a-nd mannose units combined through glycosidic linkages, which may be described chemically as galactomannan. It is dispersible in either hot or cold water, forming a sol having a pH between 5.4 a-nd 7.0, which may be converted to a gel by the addition of small amounts of sodium borate. The bean, when made into powder, is sweet-with a flavor similar to chocolate - a-nd is used to sweeten foods a-nd as a chocolate substitute, although this carob powder is produced from the fruit pod after removal of seeds, while the gum is produced from the seeds themselves.
2. Guar Gum
Guar gum, also called guaran, is a galactomannan. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled a-nd screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. Guar gum is more soluble than locust bean gum a-nd is a better stabilizer, as it has more galactose branch points. Unlike locust bean gum, it is not self-gelling.
3. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or cellulose gum is a cellulose derivative with carboxymethyl groups (-CH2-COOH) bound to some of the hydroxyl groups of the glucopyranose monomers that make up the cellulose backbone. It is often used as its sodium salt, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose.
4. Xanthan gum
Xanthan gum is a polysacc-haride secreted by the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris, used as a food additive a-nd rheology modifier, commonly used as a food thickening agent a-nd a stabilizer. It is composed of pentasacc-haride repeat units, comprising glucose, mannose, a-nd glucuronic acid in the molar ratio 2.0:2.0:1.0. It is produced by the fermentation of glucose, sucrose, or lactose. After a fermentation period, the polysacc-haride is precipitated from a growth medium with isopropyl alcohol, dried, a-nd ground into a fine powder. Later, it is added to a liquid medium to form the gum.
5. Sodium alginate
As a flavorless gum, it is used by the foods industry to increase viscosity a-nd as an emulsifier. It is also used in indigestion tablets a-nd the preparation of dental impressions.
6. Carrageenan
Carrageenans or carrageenins are a family of linear sulphated polysacc-harides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds. They are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, a-nd stabilizing properties. Their main application is in dairy & meat products, due to their strong binding to food proteins. There are three main varieties of carrageenan, which differ in their degree of sulphation. Kappa-carrageenan has one sulphate group per disacc-haride. Iota-carrageenan has two sulphates per disacc-haride. Lambda carrageenan has three sulphates per disacc-haride.
7. Gelatin
Gelatin is a protein of animal origin, was used almost exclusively in the ice cream industry as a stabilizer but has gradually been replaced with polysacc-harides of plant origin due to their increased effectiveness a-nd reduced cost.
Each of the stabilizers has its own c-haracteristics a-nd often, two or more of these stabilizers are used in combination to lend synergistic properties to each other a-nd improve their overall effectiveness. Guar, for example, is more soluble than locust bean gum at cold temperatures, thus it finds more application in HTST pasteurization syste-ms. Carrageenan is not used by itself but rather is used as a secondary colloid to prevent the wheying off of mix which is usually promoted by one of the other stabilizers.
Stabilizer cannot be used ra-ndomly. There are some limitations on the use of stabilizers:
1. production of undesirable melting c-haracteristics, due to too high viscosity.
2. excessive mix viscosity prior to freezing.
3. contribution to a heavy or chewy body.
related articles
Why Ice Cream Needs Stabilizers
