Food Stabilisers, Thickeners and Gelling Agents (ePub)

Stabilisers, thickeners and gelling agents are extracted from a
variety of natural raw materials and incorporated into foods to
give the structure, flow, stability and eating qualities desired by
consumers. These additives include traditional materials such as
starch, a thickener obtained from many land plants; gelatine, an
animal by-product giving characteristic melt-in-the-mouth gels; and
cellulose, the most abundant structuring polymer in land plants.
Seed gums and other materials derived from sea plants extend the
range of polymers. Recently-approved additives include the
microbial polysaccharides of xanthan, gellan and pullulan.

This book is a highly practical guide to the use of polymers in
food technology to stabilise, thicken and gel foods, resulting in
consistent, high quality products. The information is designed to
be easy to read and assimilate. New students will find chapters
presented in a standard format, enabling key points to be located
quickly. Those with more experience will be able to compare and
contrast different materials and gain a greater understanding of
the interactions that take place during food production. This
concise, modern review of hydrocolloid developments will be a
valuable teaching resource and reference text for all academic and
practical workers involved in hydrocolloids in particular, and food
development and production in general.