Substances that change the structure and physicochemical properties of food( I)

The following substances are substances that alter the structure and physico-chemical properties of food products: gelling agents, thickeners, food surfactants, gelatinizers, disintegrating agents and stabilizers.

The nucleating agents, gelling agents and thickeners are widely used in the food industry. They are used to produce colloidal solutions of high viscosity( thickeners), jellied monocomponent current systems, which consist of a highly molecular component and a low molecular weight solvent( gelatin), gels of structured colloidal systems.

Natural nutritional supplements are also used, such as: pectin, gelatin, agaroid, sodium lactate, starch, as well as substances that are produced artificially from natural ingredients, such as amylopectin, methylcellulose and modified starches.

Gelatin is a product of protein origin. Gelatin consists of a mixture of polypeptides that do not taste or smell. Gelatin is extracted from cartilage, bones, and also animal tendons. Gelatine is readily soluble in hot water, and when cooled, aqueous solutions turn into jellies. Gelatin is used for making jelly, ice cream, brawn, and also in cooking. Starch and modified starches .Starch and modified starches are used in the bakery, confectionery industry, as well as in the production of ice cream, as thickeners, gelling agents, gelatinizers. Modified starches use oxidized and dialdehyde starch. Oxidized and dialdehyde starch is also added to the bread.

High-molecular and sugar-like polysaccharides include starch and other starch derivatives listed below, which consist of a large number( approximately 6,000 to 10,000) of residues of simple carbohydrates. Starch is a reserve polysaccharide. It is the main component of potatoes and grains. Starch is chemically a mixture of polymers of amylase and amylopectin.

Amylase is a linear polymer that consists of 1000 to 8000 glucose residues.

Amylopectin is a polymer that consists of 5000-6000 glucose residues. At normal temperatures, the starch grains do not dissolve in water. But with increasing temperature, the starchy grains swell, forming a viscous colloidal solution, which upon cooling leads to the formation of a gel( known to all as paste). .. more

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Shilov VN, Mits'yo VP"Healthy Nutrition"