Gelling agents pectins

Much attention has been paid to the pectin-calcium system because of its application in the food industry as gelling agent. A large body of the litterature on this subject is devoted to the gel formation as function of calcium concentration, pH and temperature [1-8]. There were also some reports on the... 

This treatment has the advantage of avoiding the acid extraction of the pectins it could be also used to obtain extruded products which could be used in various preparations traditionnally requiring high methoxyl pectins as gelling agents. The final products could be therefore enriched in dietary fibres and devoid of additives. 

The extruded fibres can also gel in these conditions and must be considered as ingredients and not additives. Gelled products enriched in dietary fibres can be obtained. The extruded fibres can be used in jams, or other preparations requiring HM pectins as gelling agents.. 

Gelling agents under appropriate conditions self-associate to produce a three-dimensional structure. Some gelling, as with gelatine, is thermo-reversible while others, such as with high methoxyl pectin, is irreversible. Apart from the effects on the texture of the product an irreversible gelling agent is more of a problem in the factory since it cannot readily be recycled. 

Pectin does have some compatibility with other gelling agents. In particular it is used in conjunction with gelatine. Pectin suppliers claim that up to 25% of the gelatine can be replaced without significantly altering the texture. The benefit of the replacement is of course purely... 

Fruit of species with a high pectin content does not normally need any additional gelling agent, but a gelling agent has to be added in the production of jam from low-pectin fruit. 

Pectins are mainly used as gelling agents, but can also act as thickener, water binder and stabilizer. 

E440 Pectin Stabiliser Gelling agent Thickener Apple pomace Citrus fruit peels... 

Pectin and gelling agents with defined properties using synergetic effects... 

Future research efforts should be directed to the problem of possible connections between these structural features of pectin and its properties as gelling agent and as dietary fibre. 

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