Whipping agents

In canned whipping cream, the gas nitrous oxide is used as both a propellant and a whipping agent. Nitrous oxide under pressure dissolves in the fats in the cream, and comes out of solution (like fizzing carbon dioxide in a soda) when the pressure is released. The bubbles of nitrous oxide instantly whip the cream into foam. 

The most effective emulsifier and whipping agents are eggs and egg white. Of course these are ingredients rather than emulsifiers in law. Bakers would like not to use eggs for several reasons they are expensive, do not keep well and are potentially contaminated with bacteria. The latter issue applies to any egg product that has not been heat treated. The main worry is that the raw egg will contaminate finished product. 

Properties of Egg Albumen. Egg albumen is normally used in foods for two reasons it whips into a foam and the foam can be set irreversibly by heat. One advantage of egg albumen is that it is relatively unaffected by the presence of fat. Fat in these systems acts as a foam breaker. Some other whipping agents are badly affected by the presence of fat. In confectionery systems egg albumen is usually set by beating the reconstituted egg albumen into a hot sugar syrup. The coagulation... 

Milk Proteins. As some milk proteins will gel on heating and others can be modified to make whipping agents it has long been thought that milk proteins could be used as whole or partial substitute for egg proteins. Purified whey proteins were regarded as a suitable raw material as whey is a low value by-product from cheese making. Early... 

Soya Proteins. Early attempts to make albumen substitutes from soya protein also ran into problems. A bean flavour tended to appear in the finished product. A solution to these problems has been found. Whipping agents based on enzyme modified soy proteins are now available. The advantage of enzymatic modification is that by appropriate choice of enzymes the protein can be modified in a very controlled way. Chemical treatment would be far less specific. In making these materials the manufacturer has control of the substrate and the enzyme, allowing the final product to be almost made to order. The substrates used are oil-free soy flakes or flour or soy protein concentrate or isolate. The enzymes to use are chosen from a combination of pepsin, papain, ficin, trypsin or bacterial proteases. The substrate will be treated with one or more enzymes under carefully controlled conditions. The finished product is then spray dried. 

Data from Table I point out that other milk-based products are likely to form Amadori products, in this case lactulose-lysine and fructose-lysine, even under moderate thermal treatments. The furosine content, originating from the acid hydrolysis of Amadori products, was high in a whipping agent made from sugar and Na caseinate. It is surprising, however, that cheeses have also relatively high furosine levels. 

Among the values given in the Table I only milk crumb and the whipping agent have furosine levels that can be compared to the fructose-lysine (or lactulose-lysine) content used in Erbersdobler s experiment. 

Function Dough conditioner stabilizer whipping agent. 

Function Emulsifier stabilizer whipping agent plasticizer. 

Egg albumen Whipping agent and irreversible gelling agent Protein Egg white... 

Enzyme modified soy protein Whipping agent Protein Soy beans... 

Pectin has been suggested as an ingredient for aerated products where a compatible whipping agent must also be used in conjunction with a high methoxyl pectin. Typically the product will contain 0.5-2.5% of high methoxyl pectin and some gelatine. 

Nougat can be made either in batches or continuously although the best nougat is made in batches. Various whipping agents can be used such as egg albumen, gelatine, milk protein and enzyme-modified soya protein. Starch or gum arabic can also be used in addition. The composition can be adjusted to give the desired texture. 

In continuous processing the whipping agents are beaten into a hot, mixed sugar syrup. The product is then extruded, cooled and cut to shape. 

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