Acidity regulator and its application

Acidity regulator, also known as sour agent or acidifying agent. It is a food additive that gives sour flavor to make product standardization. In addition, sour agent  in food processing is also often used as components of Bulking agents, color fixatives, antioxidants and preservatives. Sour agents make you feel snappy, stomachic and helps dissolve cellulose, calcium, phosphorus and other substances. It promotes the digestion and absorption of nutrients, as well as antiseptic and antibacterial.

The sour of sour agent is affected by:

Temperature  Sour will strengthen as the temperature increases, but compared with bitter and sweet, sour affected least by temperature.

Hydrogen Ion Concentration  Whether strong or weak of a sour taste has something to do with the hydrogen ion concentration.

Total Acidity And Buffer

The Nature Of The Anion

Sour Mixed With Other Tastes

Common used sour agents:

1. Citric Acid: Citric acid do well in anti-corrosion, especially bacteria reproduce. It has strong ability to chelate metal ions. It can be used as antioxidants to delay the oxidative rancidity of oils, at the same time it can also be used as stabilizers for pigments to prevent discoloration of fruit and vegetable. Paired buffer solution with sodium citrate and potassium citrate can improve the quality of ice cream, or the cheese is easier to shape and cut. Citric acid has a soft and snappy flavor, and the acid sense is the highest in mouth.

2. Lactic acid: Transparent colorless or pale yellow syrup liquid, odorless or have a slight acidity, and it can be mixed with water, alcohol, glycerine arbitrary. Generally 80% ~ 90% lactic acid contains 10% ~ 10% lactic acid anhydride. It is often used in fermented food, beverage, preparation of wine, jam, canned and candy, etc.

3. Tartaric acid: White crystalline powder, odourless, easy to dissolve in water and slightly hygroscopic. Grapes contain a lot of tartaric acid. It is used in the production of aromatic beverage and syrup, citrus fruit, jam, cans, candy, grape juice and products.

What you should pay attention to:

The anion not only affect the flavor of the sour agent, but also affect the flavor of food.

Citric acid has certain stimulation, can cause the digestive system disease. We should strictly pay attention to the safety when using it.

Different kind of acid will produce different taste, such as citric acid, ascorbic acid and glucose acid produce the sour taste with cool and refreshing feeling, but sour disappear fast. Phosphoric acid and tartaric acid is weaker, and their acidity was disappear quickly. Malic acid with a bitter taste, and the acid produce and disappear is slowly. Fumaric acid has a strong astringency and the sour can be last for a long time.

Article source: http://okfoodadd.blogspot.hk/2015/08/what-is-thickeners.html.