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What are the alternatives for locust bean gum in jelly application?

May 16, 2021
ANSWER
  1. Guar Gum
  • LBG and guar are similar enough in functionality to replace one another however, guar is much cheaper2.
  • Guar is therefore used as an alternative to LBG in many applications but LBG is generally only partially replaced with guar2.
  1. Tara gum
  • Tara gum is similar to guar and LBG in terms of structure and functional properties4.
  • Like guar, tara gum can reach a high viscosity in water within a few minutes4.
  • Similar to LBG, tara gum can act synergistically with agar and xanthan to increase gel strength and make it less prone to syneresis4.
Applications Functions Usage Levels
Fillings, fruit preps, jams & jellies Suspends fruit, improves mouthfeel, adds texture, reduces syneresis, and improves freeze/thaw stability in frozen products1 0.10-0.50%1
  1. Konjac glucomannan (KGM)
  • Act synergistically with agar and xanthan during gel formation, best synergism is obtained when konjac to xanthan ratio is 70:30 (w/w)3.
  • Mixtures of xanthan and KGM are reported to produce ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ gels having texture similar to that of gelatin3.
  • Hence, they provide a useful replacement in applications where ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ characteristics are important for product quality and where moderate acidity is acceptable or necessary (e.g., fruit jellies)3.

 

References

1Gum Technology. (n. d.). Hydrocolloids & Stabilizing Systems. Tara Gum.

2Philp, K. (2018). Polysaccharide Ingredients. Reference Module In Food Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-100596-5.22367-6

3Saha, D., & Bhattacharya, S. (2010). Hydrocolloids as thickening and gelling agents in food: a critical review. Journal Of Food Science And Technology, 47(6), 587-597. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-010-0162-6

4Wu, Y., Ding, W., Jia, L., & He, Q. (2015). The rheological properties of tara gum (Caesalpinia spinosa). Food Chemistry, 168, 366-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.07.083