What is the correct way to use thickeners?

Many people may not know what a thickener is, in fact, it is widely used in the food industry, thickener is essentially a food additive, after the addition of this substance, the consistency of food will be greatly enhanced, for example, we know that a lot of fluid food and jelly food have increased the thickener ingredients, thickener can change the physical properties of food, and can even change the taste of food, so how to How can thickeners be used?

How to use thickeners?

Thickener is also known as gelling agent, when used in food, also known as paste or food glue. It can improve the viscosity of the material system, so that the material system to maintain a uniform and stable state of suspension or emulsion, or the formation of gel. It is widely used in food, paint, adhesives, cosmetics, detergents, printing and dyeing, rubber, medicine and other fields. In repaint printing, paint printing paste composed of thickener, water, binder and paint paste, printing paste then printing mechanical force, shear force, so that the viscosity of the printing paste and then instantly and significantly reduced; when the shear force disappears, and then back to the original high viscosity, so that the fabric printing outline clear. This change in viscosity with the change in shear force, mainly by the thickening agent to achieve.

In the manufacture of re-emulsion paints, thickening agents play a multifaceted role in coordinating the thickening, stabilisation and rheological properties of emulsion paints. In the process of polymerisation of emulsions, it is used to protect the colloid and improve the stability of emulsions; in the stage of dispersion of pigments and fillers, it improves the viscosity of dispersed materials and facilitates dispersion; in the process of storage and transportation, it improves the stability of paints and freeze-thaw resistance and prevents pigments and fillers from sinking and caking; in construction, it regulates the viscosity of emulsion paints and presents good thixotropy. Adding a few thousandths of food thickener in food, it has the effect of gelling, film formation, water holding, suspension, emulsification, foam stabilization and lubrication. It plays a very important role in the colour, aroma, taste, structure and relative stability of the food in fluid food or frozen gum food.

Most of the thickeners are hydrophilic polymer compounds, which are classified as animal, vegetable, mineral, synthetic or semi-synthetic according to their origin. In simple terms, they can be divided into two categories: natural and synthetic. Most of the natural products are made from plants and algae containing polysaccharide viscous substances, such as starch, pectin, agar, gelatin, seaweed lipid, carrageenan, dextrin, yellow jelly gum, polysaccharide derivatives, etc.; synthetic products include methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose and other cellulose derivatives, starch derivatives, casein, sodium polyacrylate, polyethylene oxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyvinyl alcohol, low molecular polyethylene wax, poly Acrylamide, etc.

The thickening agents commonly used in beverage production and as emulsion stabilisers are mainly sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, propylene glycol alginate, carrageenan, xanthan gum, pectin, guar gum, acacia bean gum, etc.