Ingredients

Food hydrocolloids:
versatility with a dash of style

‘Food hydrocolloids’ is a broad term taking in an rather crudely, as a food ingredient, water is
just too… well, watery. What hydrocolloids
extensive and diverse family of ingredients and additives promise is the possibility of exerting
with an equally wide spectrum of properties and influence and control over the physical
properties of the water in foods, notablyits
applications. Whether you want to thicken, stabilise, viscosity, diffusivity and retention in food
form a gel, emulsify, suspend particles, improve matrices. That opens up almost limitless
possibilities for devising new prepared food
mouth-feel, replace fat, add fibre, retain water, extend products that would simply not be possible
shelf life or encapsulate flavours, there is likely to without hydrocolloids.

be a hydrocolloid ingredient that will be suitable for A world of choice

the job. Long thought of as cheap ingredients, used The first thing to realise is that there are
a bewildering variety of hydrocolloids for
to replace more expensive materials in low quality the product developer to choose from and
products, some food hydrocolloids have now acquired that their properties and potential appli-
cations are also very varied. Some of the
an image as natural, healthy ingredients and even as most commonly used are shown in Table
powerful creative tools to help developers dream up 1, but there are countless other, less well-
exciting and novel new products. How has this startling known, examples. Most are polysaccharides,
although some proteins, notably milk
transformation come about? proteins, are also hydrocolloids. They may be
derived from plant sources (guar gum, gum
Essentially, hydrocolloids are hydrophilic and product developers because it offers the Arabic, starches and pectin), from marine
polymers, which simply means that they possibility of modifying the functional prop- algae (carrageenan and agar), from animals
have an affinity for, and interact with, water. erties of water in foods. Many foods contain (gelatine), or from microorganisms (xanthan
This property is important to food scientists a high percentage of water, but putting it gum). There are also many chemically and

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Hydrocolloid type
Plant gums
Guar gum
Gum arabic
Gum tragacanth
Konjac gum
Locust bean gum
Tara gum
Other plant hydrocolloids
Cellulose
Pectin
Starches
Seaweed extracts
Agar
Alginates
Carrageenan
Furcelleran
Microbial gums
Gellan
Xanthan
Hydrocolloids of animal origin
Gelatin
Whey protein concentrate
Semi synthetic hydrocolloids
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC, cellulose
gum)
Propane-1,2-diol alginate (propylene
glycol alginate, PGA)
physically modified hydrocolloids available
(modified cellulose and pectin derivatives).
Although there are already many hydrocol-
loids available to the food scientist, there
is much interest in the exploitation of
new ones. For example, some of the lesser
known plant gums, such as fenugreek and
mesquite gums, are being investigated for
their functionality and interactions with
other gums and the search for new gums
from around the world goes on. There is
also a lot of interest in microbial gums.
Many bacteria produce exopolysaccharides
to protect their cells from dehydration,
toxic chemicals and other environmental
factors. Screening large numbers of species
for useful products may see the discovery
of new food gums. Microbial gums also
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SOME IMPORTANT FOOD HYDROCOLLOIDS
Properties and applications
Soluble at low temperatures; high viscosity at low concentration. Very widely used as a thickener and stabiliser in many products.
Soluble at low temperatures; low viscosity even at high concentrations; film-former and emulsifier with adhesive properties. Used
as a stabiliser and emulsifier in soft drinks and in confectionery.
Similar to gum Arabic; acid-resistant. Used as a stabiliser and thickener in acid sauces and salad dressings.
Strong, gel-forming gum; shows synergy with xanthan gum and carrageenan to form elastic thermoreversible gels. Used as a
gelling agent, thickener and texture modifier in desserts, confectionery and low-fat meat products.
Similar in structure to guar gum, but less soluble and lower viscosity; synergistic with xanthan gum and carrageenan. Used as a
stabiliser and thickener in dairy products; inhibits ice crystal growth in ice cream
Properties between those of guar and locust bean gums. Used as a thickener and texture and to improve mouthfeel in dairy
products and sauces.
Insoluble; retains large quantities of water; may protect against ice damage. Used to improve texture and as a fat-replacer in
sauces and dressings that are not translucent.
Gel-forming polysaccharide; gel strength varies with composition and processing conditions. Used to gel jams, jellies and other
conserves; thickens and suspends particles in beverages.
Versatile and readily available hydrocolloids used as thickeners, stabilisers, water-binders and gelling agents in a wide variety of
products.
Strong gel-forming polysaccharide; only soluble in boiling water; forms clear stable gels. Used to stabilise sugar in icing and
desserts; can be used as a gelatine substitute.
Gel-forming polysaccharides; produce thermally stable cold setting gels at low concentrations when calcium is present. Used as
thickeners and stabilisers in a wide variety of foods and as a gelling agent in desserts.
Three types, kappa, iota and lambda; kappa and iota are gel-forming, but lambda is not; gel characteristics vary with grade. Used
mainly as thickeners, gelling agents and to suspend particles in desserts, meat and dairy products and beverages.
Strong gel-forming polysaccharide; soluble in warm water. Used as a gelling agent, thickener and stabiliser in desserts and in
dietetic jams and jellies.
Bacterial exopolysaccharide; water-soluble; gel-forming, but gel characteristics depend on degree of acylation; can suspend
particles in liquids without noticeably increasing viscosity. Used as a thickener, stabiliser and gelling agent in dairy products and
beverages.
Bacterial polymer; non-gelling; hydrates in cold water; acid-resistant; reduced viscosity at high shear (easy to process); synergistic
with some other hydrocolloids (e.g. locust bean gum). Widely used thickener and stabiliser in salad dressing and sauces.
Animal protein made from collagen; forms thermoreversible gels dissolving at low temperature. Used as a gelling agent in many
foods, but not suitable for vegetarian products.
Small protein particles; readily dispersible in water; acid-, heat- and shear-resistant; versatile stabiliser and texture modifier. Used
in dairy products and other foods as a stabiliser and to improve texture.
A derivative of cellulose; soluble in cold water; non-gelling; viscosity reduced on heating. Used as a thickener, stabiliser and 1
suspending agent in a variety of foods and beverages; used to reduce staling in bakery products.
Ester of alginic acid; more acid-stable than other alginates. Used as a stabiliser and thickener, especially in low pH beverages.
offer the possibility of genetically modi- same basic property also gives hydrocol-
fying bacterial cells to produce new, or loids the ability to act as stabilisers, and
modified gums with specific properties in some cases, to take on the properties
and it may eventually be possible to design of solids and form gels in food. But this
gums for their functionality and then simple picture is massively complicated by
produce them using modified bacteria. a number of other factors. For example,
This approach has the advantage of being the functionality of most hydrocolloids
a controllable and consistent production is dependent not only on the amount
process giving a product that may still be present, but also on the physical and
considered as natural. chemical environment within the food.
Factors such as the pH, the solutes present
Managing complexity and their concentration, the temperature
At first glance, the functionality of hydro- and even water hardness are all important.
colloid food ingredients appears decep- For instance, carrageenans do not perform
tively straightforward. A hydrocolloid well under acid conditions and most algi-
added to a water-based food product or nates will only form gels in the presence of
beverage will affect its viscosity by binding calcium ions. Processing conditions, such
with the water component of the prod- as shear forces applied during mixing, also
uct, and so it will act as a thickener. This affect performance. On top of that, many
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 Ingredients
hydrocolloids show complex interactions,
not only with water, but also with other
food ingredients, and with other hydrocol-
loids. Using food hydrocolloids effectively
depends on a detailed knowledge of these
interactions and how they affect func-
tionality and product quality. Until quite
recently, that knowledge was rather patchy,
and more of an art than a science. But that
is beginning to change as hydrocolloid
technology becomes more sophisticated.
This functional complexity is explained
largely by the molecular structure of spe-
cific hydrocolloids. They are usually poly-
mers, but many have quite complicated
structures, often with variable side chains
and conformational characteristics. Gener-
ally speaking, linear polymers tend to cre-
ate higher viscosity than highly branched
and folded chains, and the degree of
cross-linking between polymer molecules
governs gel formation. This situation
becomes much more complex in hydrocol-
loid mixtures when molecular interactions
can cause gelling or even phase separation
at higher concentrations.
Some gums that form gels can also be used
to achieve some rather unexpected effects.
For example, pectin and gellan gums can
both form gels, but if a manufacturing
process incorporates enough mixing to
generate shear during cooling to below
the gelling temperature, the result can be
increased viscosity without allowing a gel
to be formed. Gellan gum can also be used
to produce so-called fluid gels. These are
very weak gels that can be used to suspend
particles, but without any appreciable
increase in viscosity. This is especially
useful in beverages that contain particles.
Carrageenan can also produce a fluid gel
in combination with milk proteins, and
this is used to suspend particles in dairy
products without increasing viscosity. Such
gels are also useful for providing a ‘melt in
the mouth’ texture and delivering flavours
that are released in the mouth.
Making use of synergy
Some mixtures of hydrocolloids are syn-
ergistic and their combined functionality
is not necessarily the result of a simple
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Some of the lesser known plant gums, such as
fenugreek, are being investigated for their
additive effect. For these reasons, functionality and interactions with other
predicting the effect of adding gums and the search for new gums from
individual, or mixtures of, hydro- around the world goes on.
colloid ingredients in specific
foods is no easy task. This adds a
lot of complexity to the process of
formulating products and makes it
especially difficult to optimise
a formulation.
On the one hand, this complexity
is daunting, but it also opens up
opportunities to experiment, espe-
cially with different combinations
of hydrocolloids. For example, the
synergistic action of xanthan gum
with galactomannan plant gums,
such as guar and locust bean, is
well known. Guar and xanthan
mixtures give greater viscosity than
either can provide in isolation,
whereas locust bean gum interacts
with xanthan to form a gel. Other
synergistic reactions exist between
gelatine and carrageenan, gela-
tine and gellan gum, and between kappa- Natural isn’t always best
carrageenan and milk proteins. Mixtures of As though it weren’t already difficult enough
hydrocolloids may often provide func- to choose suitable hydrocolloid ingredients
tionality that a single ingredient cannot. for a new product formulation, a further
Some hydrocolloid suppliers have noted level of complexity is provided by the fact
this and supply ready blended mixtures of that many hydrocolloids are natural products
ingredients that are designed for specific extracted from plants and seaweed and so
applications. For example, US-based TIC have a certain amount of inherent heteroge-
Gums recently introduced its TIC Pretested neity. They are usually complex mixtures of
Dairyblend range of stabiliser systems spe- molecules and so may vary between sources
cifically for dairy products, such as low-fat and even from one batch to the next. This
ice cream, yoghurt drinks and smoothies, has obvious implications for functionality
and added-fibre yoghurts. Each is a mixture and makes it difficult to achieve consistent
of hydrocolloid gums designed to optimise performance in many applications.
product texture and mouthfeel, without
introducing any negative characteristics. The natural sources of many hydrocol-
loids are a benefit to food manufacturers in
The functional properties of gum combi- terms of consumer-friendly labelling, but
nations in specific foods is another focus they do have other downsides. Supplies of
of research effort as food scientists strive these relatively low volume ingredients often
to understand how these interactions come from developing countries and may
take place at a molecular level. The use of be vulnerable, not only to poor harvests and
advanced microscopic techniques, such as local environmental conditions, but also to
atomic force microscopy, to examine the contamination during processing. For exam-
microstructures of gels formed in food is ple, in 2007, some guar gum from India
providing useful insights into the myster- – the source of most of the world’s supply
ies of hydrocolloid interactions and giving – was found to be contaminated with dioxin
clues on how these may be controlled at levels well above those permitted by the
and exploited. EU. This resulted in a series of recalls and
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 increased sampling and testing of guar gum can be used to form fat-replacing gels. This
shipments into the EU. The contamination offers an opportunity to change consumer
is thought to have originated from the use perceptions of these ingredients. Yes, they
of the fungicide pentachlorophenol, which have a function in maintaining the desirable
is not permitted for use in food or feed. A characteristics of the product, extending shelf
subsequent EU investigation of this incident life and replacing more expensive ingredi-
recommended that the Indian authorities ents, but they are also natural products that
should adopt measures to separate guar gum can provide dietary health benefits.
production for food use from production for
other industrial purposes. Some natural hydrocolloids are also suitable
for use in organic products. For example,
Gelatin too has suffered from its natural CP Kelco’s Kelcogel gellan gum has recently
origins, partly as a result of the BSE crisis in been recommended by the US National
Europe, but also because of its unsuitability Organic Standards Board for addition to the
for vegetarian consumers. The result has USDA National Organic Program National
been considerable interest in other gel-form- List. According to Food Applications man-
ing hydrocolloids that can be used to replace ager Barbara Chinn, “Utilisation of gellan
gelatine in non-meat products. gum ‘fluid gels’ technology in organic bever-
ages would ensure consistent consumption of
Changing perceptions key nutritional ingredients such as proteins
One of the driving forces for the growing and calcium, while maintaining excellent
interest in natural gums is the fact that many sensory characteristics.”
are not only useful functional ingredients,
but can also be described as natural sources Top chefs get stuck into gums
The healthy connotations of hydrocolloids
of soluble dietary fibre and so can be consid-
ered as healthy ingredients. Of course theymay be useful ammunition for the mar-
are also important ingredients in many low-keting specialist, but even more valuable
is the well-publicised interest of some of
fat products, where they are used to replace
fat and improve mouthfeel. Some prebiotics,the world’s top chefs in these ingredients.
such as inulin, are also hydrocolloids thatFerran Adrià, proprietor of El Bulli in
Barcelona – voted the best
US-based TIC Gums recently introduced its TIC restaurant in the world on no
Pretested Dairyblend range of stabiliser systems less than three occasions – and
specifically for dairy products, such as low-fat ice
Heston Blumenthal of current
cream, yoghurt drinks and smoothies.
number two, the Fat Duck,
near London, are two of the
progressive chefs who have used food gums
like xanthan to create innovative new dishes
and enhance existing ones. They and other
exponents of so-called ‘molecular gas-
tronomy’, such as Wylie Dufresne of
WD50 in New York, have shown
that food science and high-end
cooking do not need to be
mutually exclusive. It may
be heresy to say so in foodie
circles, but cooking is essen-
tially a branch of chemistry.
By accepting and exploiting
this fact, modern chefs have
been able to develop dishes
that would otherwise be
impossible using traditional
ingredients and techniques.
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Blumenthal has a laboratory attached to
his restaurant, where he has experimented
with several novel uses for gums, including
gelling gellan gum to produce small beads
containing flavours that revert to liquid
when bitten and release the flavour into the
mouth. Dufresne points out that although
he uses ingredients like konjac and xanthan
gum that would not have found a place in
a top kitchen even ten years ago, he uses
hydrocolloids from natural sources, and
that some of them have been used in cook-
ing in other countries, like Japan, for many
years. But like Blumenthal, Dufresne uses
these ingredients in new ways, combining
70 % konjac and 30 % xanthan gum to
make an elastic gel that he uses to make a
foie gras that can be tied into a knot. He
has also been experimenting with a deep
fried hollandaise sauce.
Ferran Adrià meanwhile, has developed
vegetable foams, or espumas, that can be
dispensed as an aerosol onto the plate.
Other adventurous chefs have used agar to
add flavours to cooked dishes and xanthan
to stabilise vegetable and fruit purees at
the table.
The gum suppliers have not been slow to
recognise the advantages of having their
products recognised by the best chefs in
the world. For example TIC Gums already
markets more than 20 gums and gum
systems in small jars specially designed for
use by restaurant chefs, and also sells both a
‘Gel & Foam Kit’ and a ‘Sauces & Soup Kit’
complete with recipes for adventurous chefs.
Spanish gelatin producer Gelita has gone one
step further and has taken Adrià’s vegetable
foams and developed them into commercial
concepts that could be produced for retail
sale to consumers. This idea has inspired
the company’s developers to produce other
innovative concepts, including instant des-
sert powders, firm fruit gels, instant fruit
yoghurt, a sliceable fruit spread for toast and
healthy gel-based snack bars.
With so much creative energy being focused
on new applications for gums and other
hydrocolloids, it surely won’t be long before
we start to see some remarkable new products
on the supermarket shelves.
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