In 2021, Our country's per capita GDP will reach 80,976 yuan, and the per capita consumption expenditure of residents will be 24,100 yuan, which is a big breakthrough compared to the past. The improvement of living standards has brought about an increase in people's health awareness and more attention to food safety, especially the use of additives in food.

Although people hope that the ingredients in the labels of the products they eat are simple and clear at a glance, in fact, many products cannot avoid additives. In order to improve the viscosity, stability or gel formation of food, food additives are needed to help. Therefore, We don't need to talk about additives for color change. Anything aside from the dosage is a hooligan. As long as it is legal and compliant and the additive is added to the food in the correct dosage, it is safe.

Today, I will share with you a kind of food gum-locust bean gum (locust bean gum). Locust bean gum, also known as locust bean gum and carob bean gum, is composed of 1 molecule of D-galactose and 4 molecules of D-mannose. The polysaccharide polymer, mainly derived from the endosperm part of the seeds of the locust tree, is a natural, water-soluble food thickener. It can be found in our daily consumption of ice cream, milk, jelly and other foods.

Characteristics of Locust Bean Gum

(1) Locust bean gum is water-soluble, but insoluble in organic solvents such as ethanol. Refined locust bean gum has good transparency, ordinary locust bean gum is only partially dissolved in cold water, and can be fully hydrated when heated to 85 degrees Celsius for more than 10 minutes.

(2) Locust bean gum is viscous after being dissolved, and can be used as thickener, emulsifier, stabilizer, etc. in food, petroleum, textile and other fields.

(3) Locust bean gum is a non-Newtonian fluid, and its viscosity is inversely proportional to the shear rate and proportional to the concentration, and the viscosity of locust bean gum soluble in hot water is higher than that of locust bean gum soluble in cold water; At PH is 3-11, the viscosity of the locust bean gum solution was almost unchanged.

(4) Locust bean gum itself has no gel properties, but has excellent gel synergistic effect with other hydrophilic colloids. The viscosity, gelling ability, elasticity and brittleness of the product can be improved by different ratios with other natural gums. For example, it can be mixed with carrageenan to make elastic jelly.

Applications of Locust Bean Gum

Locust bean gum is mainly used as a thickener, emulsifier and stabilizer in the food industry. Due to cost and other reasons, it is mostly used in compound form (for example, compounded with carrageenan to form an elastic taste). Used in ice cream, ice cream, cheese, jelly and other products.