Carrageenan - a biologically active substance, more commonly known as a food stabilizer E407 and E407a. Carrageenan stabilizer has long been used in Irish cuisine, in fact, he made of the Irish moss - so is also called red algae. It is made of several kinds of algae. The kappa and iota carrageenan are more dense consistency, like a gel, lambda carrageenan closer to the solution.
Carrageenan e407 widely in different kinds of food, especially meat, dairy, bakery, confectionery.
For different areas use different types of carrageenan. For example, in the meat industry mainly used kappa-carrageenan. It significantly improves the quality and increases the number of products.
Carrageenan and use as a separate additive, and as part of functional mixtures for different purposes. These mixtures can be part of various meat and sausage products and canned goods.
Carrageenan is indispensable for dairy products. It is found in normal milk and whipped cream, it is added to ice cream and dairy desserts. Present it in toppings and baby food.
Choosing the type of carrageenan and its amount, it is necessary to take into account all of its properties and the recommendations of the supplier.
What is carrageenan
Basically use three main types of carrageenan, which differ in the number of sulfate groups:
• Kappa;
• iota;
• lambda.
The use of additives helps to achieve the desired results:
• reduce the cost, as the finished product turns out more;
• achieve a better consistency of the product (appearance, firmness, elasticity);
• reduce the number of defects in the product.
How to get carrageenan
To obtain the additive algae are collected and dried. Then they were crushed, sieved, and is filled with an alkaline solution. After these procedures using a centrifuge of which the cellulose is removed. The residue is boiled, is concentrated and dried again.
Kappa-carrageenan in molecular kitchen
Kappa-carrageenan - one of the most popular food molecular texture that dissolves in hot mass 80S *. The mass density depends on its content of calcium, potassium, ammonium, sodium, and the concentration of the substance supply temperature. With this addition of the jelly can be created which, after heating to 70 * C may return to the original state. This property is called thermoreversible.
Modern food is hard to imagine without the carrageenan - it helps them to acquire the necessary appearance and physical properties.
Carrageenan is used as a thickener in jellies, various sauces, preserves and jams. Also, a food additive used as a stabilizer:
• salad dressings;
• dressings;
• thermo pie fillings;
• in baking and confectionery.
Carrageenan: harm or benefit
It is believed that the carrageenan is harmful. Scientific studies have shown that the so-called degraded carrageenan causes inflammation of the digestive system. Some scholars argue that it even causes cancer.
Anyway, should not be abused products containing the food additive. In moderate amounts of carrageenan will not cause harm.
On the other hand, carrageenan has a number of useful properties. It emphasizes the flavor of the product, so it is added to chocolate, candy and other goodies. The nutritional supplement has the same properties as gelatine, but a vegetable rather than animal origin, so it can be consumed by vegetarians.
