Food additives (stabilizers) are widely used in the dairy, confectionery, meat processing, and baking industries. Thanks to their application, the products acquire the desired shape, texture and consistency. Recently, carrageenan has been widely used as a stabilizer. What is it? In this article we will try to deal with this issue.
Carrageenan is obtained by processing red algae of the Rhodophyceae family. These algae grow almost throughout the Earth. Red algae are thermophilic plants, therefore, as a rule, they can be seen on the coast of Indonesia, France, Chile, the USA and Canada.
Carrageenan stabilizer - natural gelling agent, thickener. This food supplement is widely used in the manufacture of dairy, confectionery, sausage and fish products. Ice cream production is not without carrageenan, because it is thanks to its use that the creamy consistency of the final product is achieved.
Karraginan: general information
Carrageenan was discovered back in the late 19th century, but so far this substance is of both research and practical interest to many scientists of the world. The first industrial carrageenan processing plants appeared in the United States in the mid-30s of the twentieth century. Today, more than 3 thousand types of carrageenan are known, and this is not the final figure. Each year, researchers discover new types of carrageenan. From now on, you know when a carrageenan was discovered, what it is, and in which industries it is used.
The collection time, the biological phase of growth, as well as the depth and place of growth of red algae affect the physicochemical properties of carrageenan. Due to the technological processing of algae, several fractions of carrageenans are obtained, which differ in chemical composition, as well as in other qualitative indicators. At present, three classes of carrageenan are distinguished, which differ in the degree of sulfation: kappa, iota, and lambda carrageenans.
Kappa carrageenan: what is it?
This class of carrageenans is highly soluble in hot water. After dissolution and subsequent cooling, they form a gel with high gel strength. Kappa class gels react fairly well with milk proteins. In the process of production of meat products, it is kappa-carrageenan that is used as a food additive. The use of this substance is due to the ability to increase the viscosity of liquids and act as not only a thickener, but also an emulsifier.
Types of Carrageenans
According to the degree of purification, carrageenans can be classified into purified and semi-purified. The first is obtained due to the boiling of algae in an alkaline solution. After that, the crystals of carrageenans are filtered off, concentrated and removed from the solution. This method is quite time-consuming and expensive. Most often, semi-purified carrageenans are used in industry. This type is obtained by boiling algae in a solution of potassium hydroxide. Potassium prevents the hydrolysis of carrageenan in solution, but allows carbohydrates and algae proteins to dissolve. After carrying out these manipulations, the algae from the solution are removed, washed and dried.
Iota and lambda carrageenan: what is it?
Iota-carrageenan forms a less durable gel compared to kappa gel. It is worth noting that such gels are more elastic, they are able to restore their original structure even after mechanical action. In this regard, iota-carrageenan, as a rule, is used as a stabilizer of suspensions. In addition, the jellies presented above are quite stable during successive freeze / thaw cycles.
Lambda-carrageenan does not form gels, since it contains a huge number of sulfo groups, however, such solutions have a high viscosity coefficient. Therefore, this fraction is ideal for the formation of emulsions, foams and suspensions.
Benefits of Carrageenan Supplement
There is information that the food stabilizer carrageenan is safe for our health, in addition, it has a number of unique beneficial properties. Many experts are of the opinion that the main benefit of the use of this substance is to cleanse the human body of toxic impurities and chemical bio compounds, including heavy metals. In addition, it has been proven that carrageenans are not allergens, exhibit antiviral, anticoagulant, antibacterial and antitoxic effects.
Carrageenan: harm
American scientists have proved that degraded carrageenan can trigger the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as cancer. What is dangerous carrageenan? The harm of this supplement may be due to the fact that its biologically active substances provoke the development of inflammatory reactions in the body. Carrageenan during hydrolysis in the stomach releases toxic substances, which are the basis of more than a hundred diseases. Among them are gastritis, enteritis, colitis, arthritis, atherosclerosis, etc. Degraded carrageenan is harmful to our health, therefore, as a rule, it is not a part of food.
Recently, WHO representatives have strongly discouraged the use of supplements in foods that are intended for children and pregnant women. Recent experimental studies by American scientists conducted on laboratory animals have shown that polyginan (part of the carrageenan molecule) can cause ulcers and cancer of the digestive canal. Based on the data obtained, the indicated food stabilizer did not fall into the category of prohibited dietary supplements, but it can still serve as the cause of the development of many pathologies, therefore, foods with carrageenan content (food supplement E-407 and E-407a) should be used with extreme caution. Despite the proven toxicity, the stabilizer E-407 is allowed to be used in most countries, including the Russian Federation. However, the choice is yours, friends.