What are the applications of alginate in the food industry?

Alginose was first extracted from the ergot fungus of rye by Wiggers’ in 1832, and then mass produced by fermenting yeast, extracting from ashwagandha cells, or transforming with starch by enzymes, and our country started industrialized production in 2000.

The role of alginate

1.1 Used as a sweetener
Alginose sweetness is equivalent to about 45% of sucrose, with a mild sweetness, crisp taste, no aftertaste after eating the characteristics of the product can maintain the original flavor, is a healthy high-quality products.

1.2 Inhibit browning
Alginose is a non-reducing sugar, when coexisting with amino acids and proteins, it will not produce browning (Meladic reaction) even when heated, and it is very suitable for foods and beverages that need heat treatment or high temperature preservation.

1.3 Low hygroscopicity
Some foods are not hygroscopic per se, but once sugar substances such as sucrose are added, the hygroscopicity increases greatly, which affects the flavor and storage period of the food itself. The hygroscopicity of alginate is low, even if the relative humidity reaches 95%, it still won’t become damp.

1.4 Prevent aging of starch
Alginose has excellent effect of preventing aging of starch, and it can be used in pasta, cakes, rice, cream, barbecue sauce, fried meat pie and other food containing starch to play a good effect, and this effect is more significant in low humidity or frozen.

1.5 Heat resistance and acid resistance
Alginose is the most stable sugar among natural disaccharides, it will not be colored or decomposed even if it is heated at 100℃ and PH3.0 for 30 minutes.

1.6 Prevent protein denaturation
Alginose can well prevent protein denaturation during freezing, high temperature or drying. Adding alginate into various foods containing proteins can protect the natural structure of protein molecules very effectively, so that the flavor and texture of foods remain unchanged.

1.7 Inhibit the generation of putrid smell and odor
Some unpleasant odor in food is mainly composed of volatile aldehydes, ethyl mercaptan and trimethylamine, adding a certain amount of alginate can effectively inhibit the production of these substances, presenting a very good corrective taste and odor.

Alginose has a synergistic effect on the sweetness of food, aroma enhancement, can improve the sweetness of other synthetic sweeteners such as aspartame quality, it can moderate, partially mask other undesirable flavors, reduce astringency and bitterness, part of the acidity of the role of moderating.

1.8 Solubility and crystallization
The solubility of alginate is lower than that of sucrose at low temperature and higher than that of sucrose at high temperature, it has very good crystallinity, which will not be weakened under acidic condition, and it can be crystallized under a large amount of conditions containing other sugars.

1.9 High temperature of vitrification phase transition
Alginate sugar has a glass transition temperature of up to 120°C. This property, combined with its process stability and low hygroscopicity, makes alginate a high protein protective agent and an ideal spray-dried flavor retainer.

1.10 Flavor correction
Alginose has synergistic enhancement effect on the sweetness and flavor of food, it can improve the sweetness quality of other synthetic sweeteners such as aspartame, and it can moderate and partially mask other undesirable flavors, reduce astringency and bitterness, and moderate part of the sour taste.

1.11 Inhibition of fatty acid decomposition
Foods rich in edible fats and oils will produce irritating odor when they are heated and irradiated by light in preservation, and the more unsaturated fatty acids in fats and oils, the easier it is to produce this odor, which makes the food deteriorate in flavor, nutritional loss, and even deteriorate and lose the edible value. And alginose has a good inhibition effect on the decomposition of unsaturated fatty acids in the composition of fats and oils.

1.12 Stabilizing superoxide dismutase in materials
Alginose can stabilize the activity of SOD in food, and at the same time, it can play a stabilizing effect on the SOD-like activity of antioxidants such as vitamin C and β-carotene ingested from vegetables and fruits in daily life, which can help to prevent a large increase of superoxide ions in the body.

1.13 Nutritional properties for energy supplementation
Alginose, like sucrose and maltose, is a nutritious substance that can be easily absorbed by the small intestine as energy (4 kcal per gram of alginose), and the decomposition of alginose in the human body is a smooth and stable process, which is very suitable for sports drinks.

1.14 Anti-cavity
Since alginate does not decompose in the oral cavity, it produces less acid and does not produce insoluble glucan which causes dental caries. In addition, it can inhibit the formation of insoluble glucan mucilage produced by sucrose. Therefore, it can be said that alginate is a sugar with dental benefits.