Sodium alginate, also known as sodium alginate, kelp gum, algin, alginate, is a natural polysaccharide carbohydrate extracted from kelp. It is widely used in food, medicine, textiles, printing and dyeing, papermaking, household chemicals and other products as a thickener, emulsifier, stabilizer, binder, sizing agent, etc.
Since the 1980s, sodium alginate has been used in food applications in new ways. Sodium alginate is not only a safe food additive, but also a base material for biomimetic or therapeutic foods. Since it is actually a natural form of cellulose, it can slow the absorption of fats, sugars and bile salts, and has the effect of lowering serum cholesterol, blood triglycerides and blood sugar, preventing modern diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
Food-grade sodium alginate in food applications
1. Noodle products
Adding 0.2%-0.5% sodium alginate to the production of hand-pulled noodles, fish noodles, instant noodles and tube noodles can significantly increase stickiness, prevent brittleness, effectively reduce the breakage rate, and make the noodles boil-resistant, bubble-resistant, non-sticky, strong, tough, and with a delicate, lubricious, chewy texture. When producing bread and other pastries, adding 0.1%-1% sodium alginate can significantly prevent aging and drying, reduce crumbling, and give the finished product a chewy texture and good taste.
2. Ice cream, popsicles, and ice cream bars
When making ice cream, popsicles, and ice cream bars, 0.1%-0.5% sodium alginate is generally added as a stabilizer. The mixture is uniform, and it is easy to adjust the flow of the mixture when it freezes, and it is easy to stir. The finished product has good shape retention, is smooth and delicate, and has a good texture. It does not form ice crystals during storage, and it also stabilizes the air bubbles in it. The expansion rate of the product is increased by about 18%. It increases the yield by 15%-17%, while making the product soft and elastic.
3. Milk products and beverages
Sodium alginate can be used as a stabilizer for frozen milk, frozen fruit juice and other beverages. Adding the right amount of sodium alginate to frozen milk can significantly improve the texture, without a sticky or stiff feeling. In particular, adding 0.25% to 2% sodium alginate to yogurt can maintain and improve the curd shape, prevent the viscosity from decreasing during the heat sterilization process, and also extend the storage period without changing its special flavor. It can also be used to thicken margarine and emulsifiers. In addition, when added to beverages, it can be used with saccharin and other ingredients to make a refreshing, fruity syrup with a smooth and even texture that is stable and does not separate.
4. Confectionery and frozen desserts
Sodium alginate is widely used in the production of candy, frozen confections and food cores and fillings. Using sodium alginate as the main additive, you can produce high-quality soft candies, fresh jellies, grape beads, lotus seed soup, tremella soup, red bean soup, etc. It can also be mixed with other ingredients in a certain ratio, frozen, and then you can get a smooth and firm pudding.
In addition, with the additives of sodium alginate and starch, a packaging film that can replace the commonly known “glutinous rice paper” as the inner lining of candies and pastries can be made, which can prevent the melting of candies and the separation of oil in pastries, and has an excellent effect. It can not only improve the strength and flexibility of the film, which is conducive to mechanized production, but also save food and reduce costs. Adding sodium alginate to the core and filling of food products significantly demonstrates its good gelation properties and strong binding power. For example, pies, mooncakes, sandwich cakes, fruit-filled sweets and bun fillings, etc., have a uniform texture and a good mouthfeel.
5. Health food
Sodium alginate is an indispensable dietary fibre for the human body. It has unique nutritional properties, can bind to organic matter, lower cholesterol in the blood serum and liver, inhibit the rise in total fat and total fatty acid concentrations, and also improve the digestion and absorption of nutrients. It can also inhibit the absorption of harmful elements such as radioactive strontium and cadmium in the body. Because sodium alginate is a sodium salt of carboxylic acid (containing -COONa) that is soluble in water, the anionic carboxylate ion (COO-) can combine with harmful heavy metal elements such as lead and mercury in the human body to form a heavy metal salt precipitate of alginic acid. It is insoluble in water, so it can be excreted with the feces. Products such as Glucobay, sweet jelly, fruit juice powder and orange juice, which are made with sodium alginate, can help treat hypertension, coronary heart disease, obesity, diabetes and intestinal system diseases when consumed over the long term. Health foods generally use sodium alginate as an excipient, dissolve it in water, mix it thoroughly, then solidify it into granules, strips or fibrous paper shapes, which can be made into solid drinks or imitation meat products.