Hydrocolloid gums

These natural homo- and copolymers (such as starch and cellulose) are composed of sugar residues and/or their derivatives. The names carbohydrate polymer and polysaccharide refer to the chemical structure. Carbohydrate polymers are also designated as gum or hydrocolloid, which refers to the property that these polysaccharides hydrate in hot or cold water to form viscous solutions or dispersions at low concentration. The gums/hydrocolloids may be harvested from nature or obtained by the chemical modification of native polysaccharides. 

Part I the molecular weight of Acacia Senegal gum exudate. Food Hydrocolloids, Vol.19, No.4, Quly 2005), pp. 647-660, ISSN 0268-005X. 

Al-Assaf, S. Phillips, G.O.. Williams, P.A. (2005 b). Studies on Acacia exudate gums part II. Molecular weight comparison of the Vulgares and Gummiferae series of Acacia gums. Food Hydrocolloids, Vol.19, No.4, 0uly 2005), pp. 661-667, ISSN 0268-005X. 

Glover, D.A. Ushida, K. Phillips, A. O. Riley. S. G. (2009) Acacia (sen) SUPERGUMtm (Gum arabic) An evaluation of potential health benefits in human subjects. Food Hydrocolloids, Vol. 23, No. 8, (December 2009), pp. 2410-2415, ISSN 0268-005X. 

Mocak, J. Jurasek, P. Phillips, G.O, Vargas, S. Casadei, E. Ghikamai, B.N. (1998). The classification of natural gums. X. Chemometric characterization of exudate gums that conform to the revised specification of the gum arabic for food use, and the identification of adulterants. Food Hydrocolloids, Vol. 12, No. 2, (April 1998), pp 141-150, ISSN 0268-005X. 

Williams, P. A. Phillips, G. O. Stephen, A. M. (1990). Spectroscopic and molecular comparisons of three fractions from Acacia Senegal gum. Food Hydrocolloids, Vol.4, No.4, (December 1990), pp. 305-311, ISSN 0268-005X. 

In all these papers certain names of hydrocolloids—gums, starches, mucilages—constantly recur. 

A list of some of the more common, commercially available hydrocolloids, their names, and their structural formulas, as far as they are known, has been prepared for ready reference and is given below. Several of these formulas have been reproduced from the book, Industrial Gums, through the courtesy of Academic Press. 

Many hydrocolloids may fulfill one or several of the requirements of a fully balanced ice cream stabilizer and still present production problems. For this reason most stabilizers are blends of several hydrocolloids provided for the specific type of frozen confection being manufactured. Soft-served ice cream and ice milk present other production and distribution problems and require substantially different blends of gums. Many studies and comments have been made on the types and levels of hydrocolloids used for stabilizing ice cream, ice milk, and mellorine (5, 6, 8, 15, 16, 2Ir 27). 

Pectin, ground psyllium seed husks, karaya gum, tragacanth gum, and agar have also been used, but are not well accepted today. The use of many of these hydrocolloids in frozen confections singly and in combination, is covered by patents too numerous to list. 

CMC, which is cold water-soluble and easily dispersed, is widely used. It is combined with other hydrocolloids because it makes overrun difficult to control. It is used at about 0.2%. Pectin is used in sherbet and ices at a level of 0.2%, locust bean gum at 0.25%, and karaya gum at 0.4%. Guar gum is being accepted for this application at levels similar to locust bean gum. Combinations are made in order to use the best qualities of the various hydrocolloids. 

Cellulose gum, Irish moss extract, and propylene glycol alginate are the hydrocolloids most of en used in this application at levels of between 0.25 and 1%, depending on the fruit-sugar ratio and the type of fruit. 

In most plants, ice pop mixes are prepared cold and the hydrocolloid should be readily dispersible and soluble in cold mix. The hydrocolloid must be compatible with acid. Karaya gum (0.4%), locust bean gum (0.25%), and pectin (0.2%) were originally the stabilizers used. More recently CMC (0.25%),... 

The hydrocolloids used stabilize this type of icing by their ability to form a gel or a highly viscous solution. Agar-agar, locust bean gum, sodium alginate (combined with a buffer and calcium salt), Irish moss extract, pectin, and karaya gum are hydrocolloids used. The finished icing may contain from 0.1 to 0.5% hydrocolloids. 

W e know of many examples of the effect of impurities of crystallization. In many cases impurities will completely inhibit (2-4) nucleus formation. Reading the literature on this subject impresses one with the frequent occurrence of hydrocolloids as crystal modifiers, particularly where sugar or water is the material being crystallized. The use of gelatin, locust bean gum, or sodium alginate in ice cream is just one example of many practical applications of hydrocolloids in crystal modification. 

Gellan gum with various acyl contents in the presence or absence of potassium. Food Hydrocolloids 22,1148-1159. 

PO006 Sander, E. H. Psylium-hydrocolloid gum compositions and fiber supplements. Paten-Can Pat Appl-2,100,295 1994 17 p. 

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