Scientists look to carrageenans to boost egg white gelling
SPAIN - Adding carrageenans to egg white ovalbumin improves the gelling ability of the egg protein and could spark a "great interest using liquid egg as gelling agents", says research from Spain.
7 September 2006
2 minute read
Carrageenan,, a popular hydrocolloid used for texture and viscosity in food products, is a gum extracted from seaweed, largely sourced from the Philippines and Indonesia.
A strong pull in global carrageenan stocks, impacted by an increase in demand from China's booming processed food industry, has led to price spikes for a polysaccharide that is traditionally sold at low cost.
The study, published in the journal Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies (doi: 10.1016/j.ifset.2006.03.001), investigated the effects of three types of carrageenans (kappa, lambda, iota) on the gelling properties of ovalbumin, the most abundant egg protein and a key ingredient in many food products.
Source: Food Navigator
