Carrageenan and konjac flour compounding performance

The main chemical composition of konjac gum is glucomannan, in which the molecular ratio of glucose and mannose is about 2:3, because the mannose unit of the 6th C on the acetyl, so its aqueous solution can not form a gel, but in dilute alkaline solution hydrolyzed to remove the acetyl can be formed after the elasticity of the gel.

Konjac gum and κ-carrageenan are commonly used in the food industry gelling agent, but the former must be in the concentration of more than 2%, pH>9, that is, strong alkaline conditions in order to form a gel. In addition to the dosage, applied to alkaline food often has a salty and astringent flavor, poor taste, unpopular; the latter in the presence of potassium or calcium ions, with the formation of the gel required for low concentration, high transparency, etc., but its gel brittleness, elasticity, and easy to contraction of de-liquefaction phenomenon. These defects, to a large extent, affect the two as a gelling agent in the food industry applications.

Carrageenan and konjac gum for appropriate composite, in the neutral acidic conditions, can form a thermoreversible elastic gel, and the gel formed also has the need for less gelling agent, high gel strength, low precipitation rate and other characteristics. Konjac gum can completely or partially replace locust bean gum, and obtain the gel structure of carrageenan and locust bean gum mixture.

In conclusion, konjac gum and κ-carrageenan have a strong synergistic effect, can significantly enhance the gel strength and elasticity of carrageenan, reduce the water segregation of carrageenan, and its effect is stronger than that of locust bean gum, which has a good application value in the food industry.

Xanthan gum and konjac gum compounding properties

Konjac glucomannan is a complex polysaccharide, which is composed of D-glucose and D-mannose by 2:3 or 1:1.6 molar ratio by β-1,4 bond combination. And xanthan gum is an anionic polysaccharide produced by Flavobacterium, the molecular main chain by D-glucose by β-1,4 bond connection, with a fiber-like skeleton structure, each of two glucose in a C3 connected to a trisaccharide side chain, the side chain for the two mannose and a glucuronide composition.

Xanthan gum and konjac gum in solution have obvious synergistic effect, the viscosity of the total mixed gum than the same concentration of a single gum viscosity has increased several times or jelly-like, this phenomenon is known as xanthan gum and konjac gum molecules of synergistic thickening and synergistic gel. This is mainly due to the double helix structure of xanthan gum molecules and polysaccharide molecules containing β-1,4 bonds are easy to occur due to chimerism.

Xanthan gum and konjac gum are non-gel polysaccharides, but they can be co-mingled under certain conditions to obtain gel and obvious synergistic effect, which is the result of the interaction between polysaccharides. Using this interaction, the gel strength is maximized.

As the proportion of the two polysaccharides co-mingled continues to increase, the gel strength again shows a decreasing trend. This shows that the two polysaccharides co-mingled to have a suitable ratio, in order to achieve the two polysaccharides intermolecular synergistic effect of the maximum possible, the strongest gel capacity, the performance of the gel strength is the largest.

Xanthan gum and konjac gum co-mingled with the resulting gel is a thermoreversible gel, that is, heating the gel can become soluble, soluble at room temperature and placed in the cooling and can be restored to the gel.

Xanthan gum no matter what the concentration is not gel, when miscible with konjac gum, in the mixture of gel concentration of 1% when the formation of a solid gel. It has also been shown that when xanthan gum and konjac flour mixing ratio of 70:30, the total polysaccharide concentration of 1%, the maximum synergistic interaction can be achieved. This performance not only increases the effect of viscosity increase, but also reduces the amount of glue used. So konjac gum and xanthan gum both of the compound glue, can be used as a thickener and gelling agent, widely used in food and non-food industry.

Konjac gum in the food industry

Konjac gum in the food industry in a wide range of applications, such as meat products, fruit and vegetable products, pasta products and confectionery products and other food can be applied, konjac gum in food can be used as stabilizers, suspending agents, thickening agents, gelling agents, emulsifiers, film-forming agents, quality improvers, etc., which as a gelling agent, stabilizers, thickening agents are more widely used.

Konjac gum common water retention, water retention, embodied in the use of stabilizers, thickeners, and its excipient, suspension, especially embodied in the use of the process as a gelling agent.

1, konjac gum in the structure of food function
(1) thickening effect
As konjac gum dissolved in water, can form a high viscosity aqueous solution, and has the nature of shear re-thinning, and the viscosity is not affected by electrolytes, in the range of pH3.5 ~ 8.5 basic stability, and thus in the processing of beverages and dairy products, can provide a stable structure to increase the realism of the taste, so that the solid-phase particles of the large particles of the liquid phase of the more uniform suspension, stabilized in the liquid phase.

Because of the beverage and other products on the taste requirements are higher, and thus the specifications of konjac gum is also higher, need to be compared with the product’s particle size and viscosity and other performance indicators and then applied.

(2) Gelation
In the case of other gelling agents with the formation of structurally stable gel, and with the increase in its dosage, the flexibility of the product has been improved, in alkaline conditions, the formation of thermally irreversible gel, in acidic conditions, the formation of thermally reversible gel, in jellies, fudge and solidified jam products have been widely used.

In the product solubility and viscosity of the relationship and transparency, flexibility control, different specifications of the konjac gum produced by the difference is also very obvious.

(3) Water holding and water retention
In meat products, pasta products and soft candy and other products, water retention and water retention indicators have a greater impact on the quality of their products. Existing water retention agent products have been fully considered the role of phosphate products in water retention, but so far, konjac gum in the water retention function has not been fully developed and used. In fact, large molecular weight konjac gum has a very excellent water holding capacity.

(4) Health effects
Can provide natural, high-quality, soluble dietary fiber content, due to konjac gum is a high viscosity soluble dietary fiber, even as a small amount of food additives, can still provide the human body with a certain amount of high-quality dietary fiber, to help the human body to obtain a more reasonable dietary nutritional structure, to reduce the chances of the occurrence of modern “adult disease”.

Replacement of fat, sugar, konjac gum absorbent expansion times high, in the product can form a unique and stable water-holding network structure, can effectively reduce meat products, dairy products and ice cream in the fat content, sugar content, whether it is eager to produce low-fat, low-sugar (low-milk, low-oil) manufacturers, or the pursuit of consumption of this type of products for consumers, are very beneficial.

Konjac gum in the application of food preservation in the preservation of freshness

The use of konjac film-forming properties, can be used as a natural preservative for vegetables, fruits and other foods. Fruits and vegetables treated with konjac gel solution, the surface to form a film, can inhibit water evaporation, prevent the invasion of oxygen, play a role in preservation and anticorrosion.

Konjac fine powder is a natural preservative, easy to form a film, the film not only on O2, CO2, C2H2 has a certain selective permeability, but also has the function of inhibiting germs and mold. Therefore, it can be widely used in the preservation of fruits, vegetables and meat.

In the preservation of longan, if the surface coated with konjac fine powder membrane, placed at room temperature (29 ~ 31 ℃), storage for 10 days, longan weight loss rate of 2.56%, good fruit rate of 82.86%, basically inhibit the fruit skin browning and mold growth, maintain the inherent quality of longan. Compared with 0 ~ 7 ℃ refrigeration preservation, this method is more economical.

Bean preservation can also use konjac flour, with a concentration of 0.3% to 0.5% of konjac flour between the ultrasonic treatment of 20 ~ 40s after the fresh bean coated, can be extended to the storage period of beans under the same conditions to more than 10d.

Konjac fine powder can not only be used to preserve fruits and vegetables, in the preservation of meat also has a good effect. With konjac mannan and other substances to formulate the preservation of liquid, will be uniformly sprayed on the surface of fresh meat. Respectively at 10 ℃ and 20 ℃ storage, shelf life than the same conditions under the control group extended the corresponding 6 ~ 8 d. The method not only reduces the cost, and there is no frozen meat thawing produced by the loss of liquid phenomenon.

Application of konjac flour as a food additive

1, in the production of bread, cake application
Bread and cakes are common commodities in the food market, due to rich nutrition, fluffy texture and loved by people. But ordinary bread, cake water retention is poor, easy to hair dry slag, intolerant of storage, directly affecting the quality of the product, flavor and shelf life. Konjac flour paste into a paste, added to a variety of ingredients, can make the bread, cake water retention is good, strong, toughness enhancement, volume increase, consumption is not dry, do not fall off the slag, fluffy texture, shelf-life has been extended, so that the bread, cakes, the quality of a significant improvement.

The production of konjac flour according to the weight of flour 0.1% water paste, mixed with other ingredients, and then operate in accordance with conventional methods. The production of konjac paste: 1 part of konjac flour to 60 times hot water (water temperature 50 ~ 60 ℃), mix well, placed at room temperature (room temperature 20 ~ 25 ℃ is best) 4 ~ 6 hours, placed every half hour stirring 1 time, become a dextrin can be added gradually.

2、Application in the production of noodles
The use of konjac flour gelatinization and water retention, the production of konjac noodle food, konjac flour according to a certain proportion of filling in the noodles, can increase the toughness of the noodles, elasticity, without breaking the strip.

Will be a certain proportion of konjac flour paste with water, add the flour kneaded into a noodle billet, with the conventional method of making out of the noodles, white in color, long cooking does not rot, not muddy soup, smooth texture, soft. Cooked noodles can be kept in water for 1 day. Add konjac flour noodles storage time longer than other noodles, transport pressure, low cost, easy to popularize, the production method is simple and easy to do, just add konjac flour at a rate of 0.25% of the paste with water (the amount of water to the amount of water to make noodles subject to), according to the ratio of mixing into the flour, knead the billet, and then according to the conventional method of noodle production can be carried out.

3、Application in making vermicelli
Vermicelli consumption, the raw materials used are soybean meal, cornmeal, sweet potato flour, rice flour, etc., of which rice flour vermicelli processing is the most common, with these raw materials made of vermicelli in addition to soybean meal class of better quality, with other raw materials produced by the vermicelli are varying degrees of the existence of the color of the black, easy to muddy soup, broken bars, do not resist cooking, stirring the shortcomings of easy to break. In order to change the shortcomings of the quality of vermicelli members, adding konjac flour is a very effective measure.

A certain proportion of konjac flour paste and add different powder raw materials, according to the conventional production process to produce vermicelli, white color, cooking resistance, not muddy soup, not easy to break the strip, eating taste delicate, pliable. Dry vermicelli is resistant to storage, storage and transportation, the quality of vermicelli than not add konjac flour greatly improved.

In all types of starch raw materials to add the proportion of konjac flour (dry weight ratio) is as follows: soybean meal 0.1 ~ 0.5%, corn flour O.5 ~ 0.1%, potato flour 0.5 ~ 1%, sweet potato flour 0.5 ~ 1%, 0.1 ~ 0.5% of rice flour.

4, in the production of ice cream in the application
Add a certain percentage of konjac flour in ice cream, can make the product organization delicate and smooth, stable form, with a certain consistency and hardness, to prevent the precipitation of sugar crystals, to avoid the generation of ice crystals. The amount of konjac flour in ice cream is 0.3% of the total amount of raw materials, which should be pasted and then added to the ingredients, and then stirred evenly.

Konjac flour has a very high viscosity, is the highest of all natural gums, and with xanthan gum, carrageenan and other synergistic effect. Will be several kinds of edible gum and monoglyceride, phosphate and other mixing can be compounded into ice cream emulsion stabilizer for ice cream production, it can simplify the operation steps, shorten the aging time, reduce production costs.

5, in the production of Western-style ham in the application of
Can also use the gelatinization of konjac as a modifier. In the flour and starch as filler products. Adding konjac can change the taste of such food, and improve its rate, such as the production of ham and sausage.

Western-style ham requires a close combination of meat, no holes, cracks, tissue slicing performance is good, the actual production also requires good water retention, the conventional method of soy protein, modified starch is generally added to achieve the above purpose, the test, only need to add 2% of the weight of the meat of the konjac flour, both to achieve good results, but also to add soy protein, modified starch cost is low.

6, in the production of tofu in the application
Add konjac flour tofu, than ordinary tofu toughness, good water retention, not easy to break, delicate taste, white appearance, cooking water absorption. Konjac powder made of konjac tofu can be fried, boiled, mixed, brine consumption. With this kind of tofu made of dried beans, beans, artificial meat and other foods closer to the flavor of meat food, but also added to the human body is beneficial to the food fiber, to make up for the lack of plant protein.

Production, according to the dry weight of raw materials, 0.1% of the proportion of konjac flour, konjac flour added to the soybean milk before boiling, and mix well. Other processes are carried out in accordance with the normal method.

7、Application in the production of gelatinous fudge
Gel fudge is a kind of soft and sticky nature, high water content, with a certain degree of elasticity of the candy, containing high heat. Add a certain proportion of konjac powder gel candy, transparent appearance, soft tissue, not easy to sand, long shelf life.

8、Application in other food production
The use of konjac thickening and suspension can be partially or completely instead of the high price of agar and pectin used in fruit juices and beverages can be used to prevent precipitation; can also be used as jam, jelly thickener. The reversibility of the use of konjac sol can produce a variety of flavored foods. Such as 1% to 4% of the sol to keep below 10 ℃, add a variety of fruit juice, vegetable juice, coffee, milk and cocoa powder, etc., fully mixed, to be the temperature back to room temperature or heating, that is, into the fruit pudding, vegetable pudding, konjac coffee, konjac milk, konjac cocoa and other flavored foods.

In addition, konjac gum as a thickener, stabilizer, in the beverage and preparation of yogurt and other food production can also be well applied.