What is Guar Gum?

Guar gum is a natural food thickener and a traditionally cultivated plant in  the northern regions of India and Pakistan. Guar in India is drought resistant and is very hardy. Guar gum is extracted from the legumes-Guar. The molecular weight of guar gum is the largest one in all natural water soluble polymers. Guar gum in fact is not just a thickening agent, but a binder and emulsifiers as well. Guar gum has the natural ability to bind with water molecules, preventing them from forming the unwanted crystals.

White to yellowish brown powder. It disperses in hot or cold water to form the viscous liquid and is the highest viscosity of natural rubber. 1% aqueous solution viscosity of about 4-5Pa • s. It transformed into gels when add a small amount of sodium tetraborate. The viscosity changes with the change of PH value.

Application of guar gum in food industry:

1 It used as stability agent in ice cream.

2 It prevent noodles from bonding, water retention and increasing flexibility, and it maintains excellent quality and extend shelf life.

3 It is water retention and thickening stabilizer when applied to beverages such as peanuts milk, orange juice, fruit tea.

4 It can increase the volume in meat products such as sausages, lunch meat, meat balls.

5 It can reduce spills, control consistency and prevention of fat transfer in baby food and canned food.

As a food additive, the safety of guar gum has been recognized by the World Health Organization. Guar gum contains several nutrients, and common microorganisms can grow and reproduce in it. If you want to use the configured guar gum solution for a period of time, you must make a good anti-corrosion measures. The molecular structure of guar gum changes more, its resistance to microbial invasion is greater. Tests showed that in terms of resistance to microbial invasion the derivative of guar gum is far more than the guar gum. Practice also shows that the derivative of guar gum can keep the solution longer stability and good quality. As a result, the derivative of guar gum can inhibit the growth of bacteria, and these bacteria can destroy the stability of guar gum solution and reduce the quality of solution.

Because of the low price and the stable source, guar gum has been widely used in food industry. In recent years, the dispersion, viscosity and solution transparency of guar gum has been rapidly risen by the chemical modification. The study and development of the derivative of guar gum makes it becomes an important composition in the production of guar gum. Source: http://okfoodadd.blogspot.hk/2015/09/edible-gelatin-and-industrial-gelatin.html.

Edible Gelatin And Industrial Gelatin

Gelatin is a huge no-no to a vegetarian. Because it is a substance derived from the boiling of animal hooves or the processing of animal collagen. Gelatin is 90 percent protein and supplies you with 18 amino acids. Edible gelatin is tasteless beige or pale yellow powder or granul.

People may concerned about the safety use of gelatin. First you should figure out the knowledge of industrial gelatin and edible gelatin. Of course, they both are protein. The raw material of edible gelatin is derived from fresh animal skins or bones. While industrial gelatin is derived from leather scraps, and other raw materials. Edible gelatin is without chemical treatments, the process of animal skins is ingredients fresh, thus the raw materials of boiled rubber is health. Industrial gelatin does not belong to the category of food additives, their products contain excessive heavy metals or residues chemical composition like  arsenic, mercury, lead and other, certainly it is not edible.

The use of edible gelatin:

In food industry, edible gelatin is used as a thickener, a gelling agent, a stabilizer and an emulsifier. As a good source of protein, gelatin has also been said to strengthen nails and hair. It is widely used in foodstuff, such as freezing meat, yogurt, marshmallows, gummy candy,  and soups. Edible gelatin is also widely used in pharmaceuticals, it has ideal nutritional value to child.

Edible gelatine is a kind of food additive, gar, konjac, carrageenan, xanthan gum, guar gum, sodium alginate, etc are edible gelatine. The popular gummy candy has pectin and gelatin; the primary composition of jelly is carrageenan. Will manufacturers add excessive gelatin to pursue the taste? In fact it is no need to do so. Then, add excessive gelatin may cause more consistency. It does not taste good with more gelatin. According to different food, the use quantity is different.

Industrial gelatin is refined from leather and not edible, food with industrial gelatin can be detected by heavy metals. Industrial gelatin does not belong to food additives, and the raw material cost is very low. The price of industrial gelatin is lower than the food gelatin.

Collagen is the necessary nutrients of human body anti-aging, collagen is about at least 30% of total body protein. An adult body has about 3 kg of collagen. It is widely found in human skin, bone, muscle, cartilage, bone, hair. It plays triple-anti-aging roles of supporting, fixing, protection. Article source: https://okfoodadd.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/spices-make-the-food-different/.

Don't refuse food additives

Do you think food without food additives is fashion, green, healthy? At present, citizens still have some misunderstanding about the food additive. Think about that will you want to eat your food if it without any color, any flavor and any aroma, will you want to eat it? And in some ways, food additives play a huge role in preservation, corrosion protection and other functions. It has even been considered that there is no modern food industry if without food additives. While, people have some misunderstandings on additives.

"illegal additives" is not equivalent to food additives

People should make sure what are additives and what are food additives. Like Sudan, melamine, Malachite Green, formaldehyde is chemical raw materials instead of food additives, these non-food additives is strictly prohibited to add to food. The misunderstanding of illegal additives and food additives leads to some reasonable food additives added to food strictly subject to great effect.

Many people believe that consumption of foods containing food additives may have an impact on health, but in fact is not the case. Food additives are important material used in the foods production process, it can improve the food color, aroma and taste so as to meet the needs of consumers. If life without food additives, what you will want to eat? Appropriate use of food additives are safe, but excessive use is harmful. Therefore, every State has stringent health standards and quality standards to the allowed to use food additives. Use in the specified food, the variety and scope of use without permission are prohibited.

Is natural additives safe or synthetic additives safe?

Food additive is a synthetic or natural material for improving the quality and flavor of food and the need to preserve the food.  Almost all processed foods basically contain food additives. Most people think that as long as it is natural that is very safe, the synthesis must be unsafe. In fact, this view is wrong.

Role of food additives in foods is varied. For example, preservatives can play a role in preventing corruption; water retention agent can make the meat tender. The use of variety food additives can significantly improve the quality of food, and make the food more easily acceptable to the consumer. Many people think that preservatives in foods is a threat to human health, but some food without preservatives may cause bacteria infested, that is a threat to human health. Therefore, in order to inhibit microbial activity and prevent food spoilage, adding appropriate preservatives in food is a must.

The consumption of pigment in developed countries is huge. According to statistics, Americans eat 4.5 grams of color a year, the British eat 3.5 grams of pigment a year. But the country's cancer was not increased significantly in nearly 30 years. Therefore, scientists believe that the majority of food additives are safe and reliable. Only a few are carcinogens, and have been disabled. Source: http://okfoodadd.blogspot.com/2015/09/food-bulking-agent-makes-your-bread.html.

Food bulking agent makes your bread soft and tasty

Food bulking agent is a food additive that increases food volume or weight of food keeping its utility or functionality intact. It only increases the bulk of food and does not affect its nutritional value. Some common bulking agents are soluble fibres like guar gum and psyllium husk. And Canada approved powdered cellulose as a bulking agent for sweet baked dry mixes. Part of the original report is as follows:

Health Canada's Food Directorate completed a detailed safety assessment of the use of powdered cellulose as a bulking agent in dry mixes for sweet baked goods.

    Cellulose, powdered is already permitted for use in Canada as a bulking agent in various foods, including sweet baked goods.

    As no safety concerns were raised through this assessment, the Department has enabled the food additive use described in the information document by the List of Permitted Food Additives with Other Generally Accepted Uses, effective August 1, 2014.

There are two main types of the daily use bulking agent: the biological agent (yeast) and the chemical agent.

Yeast is a very important bulking agent in flour products. It can not only make product volume expansion, the organization was sponge like, but also can improve the flavor and nutritional value of the products.

Alkaline leavening agent, mainly sodium bicarbonate produces carbon dioxide. Acid is acceptable and generated in the process of carbon dioxide in the process of the formation of alkaline salt, and adjust the production speed of carbon dioxide. Such as starch has the effect of keeping the leavening agent to preserve, adjusting the gas production rate, making the air bubbles can be evenly distributed.

Compound bulking agent has a lot of formulations, and according to the specific food production need to be different. Usually by the use of different acidic substances, the gas production rate is different. Such as the acidic material are organic acid or calcium hydrogen phosphate, the reaction of producing gas is fast; while aluminum potassium sulfate, ammonium aluminum sulfate is slow to react, and they usually need to react at high temperature.

Bulking agent have a special role in the food manufacturing. Why your bread, cake and other food taste so soft? Because the spongy porous structure makes them have soft palate. When chewing the food, saliva quickly go into the organization to make the soluble substance exudes through the product and stimulate the sense of taste, then you can quickly sense the flavor of food. Besides, all kinds of digestive enzymes can quickly enter food organizations to make the food can be easily digested and absorbed when food enters the stomach, by the way, the nutritional will not loss.

Is it safe in use?

Actually a small amount of use is safe, so consumers should be alert some unscrupulous businessmen excessive use of bulking agent. Consumers need to carefully read the list of ingredients to understand the main ingredients of products and the usage of food additives.

Article source: http://okfoodadd.blogspot.com/2015/09/what-you-need-to-know-about-antioxidants.html.

What you need to know about antioxidants

Coffee, tea, chocolate and red wine can be seen everywhere, you may not know they are excellent sources of antioxidants.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are nutrients in foods that can help our body cells from the damage caused by oxidative stress response,  such as exposure to ultraviolet light, pollution or smoke. tea, coffee, chocolate, red wine, strawberry, Blueberry, carrot and spinach, garlic, broccoli, and roughage are antioxidant-rich foods. For the convenience of transport, distribution and consumption, the shelf life of many foods may be as long as one year. Such a long time may cause the food oxidation. Therefore, antioxidants is needed.

The right time to use antioxidants

1  Use the antioxidants when food are fresh or before food oxidation.

2  Oil oxidation is a spontaneous chain reaction, so add oxidants before inductive phase of chain reaction can cut off the reaction chain.

Which foods have the antioxidants?

Oils, nuts and oilseeds products, biscuits, puffed food, fried noodle, fried dough twist, convenient rice and other foods can be added antioxidants. Besides, dry cured meat products, aquatic products and other animal foods has also been licensed antioxidants. Because of these products contain fat, and most of them are exposed in the air. There will be an unpleasant smell of rancid when placed for a long.

Actually, every day we are in contact with antioxidants, because a variety of baked food and puffed food generally contain antioxidants. At the same time, if the pastry food add raw materials like peanuts and sesame, that means the antioxidants are also added.

The more antioxidants the better?

The use of high doses of antioxidants can also lead to toxicity.  The recommended dosage of beta carotene (vitamin A) is 2~7 mg daily, if the male smokers takein beta carotene 20 mg / day, the chances of developing lung cancer increase 18%.

Are antioxidants any equivalent?

There are many kinds of antioxidants, and  the structure and properties are different. In terms of chemical structure, there are thiol, phenol and amine antioxidants. In terms of dissolution, there are water soluble and fat soluble antioxidants. Therefore, different antioxidants have different effects.

How should we arrange the diet?

We should focus on reducing the high saturated fat and salt, such as cream, cakes and sausages, etc. However, it's not a good idea to remove coffee, tea, chocolate and wine from your diet. In fact, they are part of our life. Do you know they are a good source of antioxidants, which is very important to our health.

Studies of the United States anti ageing properties shows that antioxidants can help you extend your life span. They can also help fight heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. If you are interested in exercise or training, you can drink a cup of coffee before exercise. Antioxidants in coffee can help you stay healthy. Source: http://okfoodadd.blogspot.com/2015/08/acidity-regulator-and-its-application.html.