Carrageenan and Its Multiple Applications in Food Products

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Carrageenan and its multiple applications in food products Jaime Zamorano Gelymar S.A. From chocolate milk to chicken breast, many are the different products using carrageenan in the food industry. It’s all about a seaweed extract able to form viscous solutions or gels in aqueous medium. Among the many functions of this polysaccharide are moisture retention and the buildup of structure through gelation that allows the development of and unlimited number of different textures. There are basically 4 types of carrageenan depending on the seaweed sources and the processes used. Largest volume produced worldwide corresponds to Kappa carrageenan which is divided in Kappa 1 and Kappa 2. This along with Iota carrageenan produces stable gels at room temperature which added to its vegetal origin gives advantages over other products such as gelatin. Lambda carrageenan doesn’t form gels but highly viscous solutions which joined to its property of being cold soluble make it suitable for many applications where flux control is required. Blending different types of carrageenan allows to obtain and almost endless texture spectrum, from firm and brittle gels to soft and elastic ones. Moreover due to the gelling characteristics helps to retain moisture in food products submitted to high processing or thermal treatment, improving and extending its shelf life and increasing its yield. Gelymar is a Chilean company that specializes in carrageenan being nowadays one of the most important players in the carrageenan industry. Its success comes from the total integration of all the activities along the value chain, from seaweed gathering to application development and customer service. ------------------------------------------------- Types ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Kappa 1:

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