Pectin is a kind of macro-molecular plant polysaccharide, which is widely found in the cell wall and cell stroma of plants. It is the main component of dietary fiber in human body. Pectin is widely used in the food industry because of its good gel and thickening capacity. However, due to the poor performance of single pectin dissolved in water, it cannot be used in large quantities in solid foods such as bread and biscuits.
Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) is an anionic linear polymer material and is the main representative product of ionic cellulose glue. CMC is widely used in food industry because of its good effect of enlarging, thickening, absorbing water, stabilizing and gelling, which can replace gelatin, agar and sodium alginate. Adding CMC to low-ester pectin can improve the pectin gel strength and control water flow, which would improve the product quality and enhance its stability when used in jam, bread, biscuits and other foods. Besides, CMC can not be digested and absorbed by the human body, so it can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and reduce the pressure of the colon. This makes it a good healthy ingredient to add to foods that are suitable for patients with hypertension, arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
Research shows that the CMC/low-ester pectin composite system has better gel performance when the dosage of CMC reaches 0.8%. CMC can significantly affect the rheological properties of low-ester pectin, which can increase the application range of low-ester pectin. In addition, CMC is relatively cost-effective compared with low-ester pectin and other food additives, so it can reduce the amount of low-ester pectin in food production and therefore reduce the production cost.
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SINOCMC TEAM