Food Technology and Processing : food additive

Showing posts with label food additive. Show all posts

Showing posts with label food additive. Show all posts

The Role and Regulation of Food Additives

In the realm of modern food production, a wide array of chemical additives is commonly used to enhance taste, appearance, and shelf life. However, the safety of these additives remains a pressing concern, necessitating rigorous oversight from regulatory agencies.

It is essential to clarify that not all chemical additives pose inherent risks. Rather, the emphasis should be on meticulous screening to ensure their safety, especially when their effects on human health are not fully understood.

Significant lessons have been gleaned from past oversights. For instance, the indiscriminate use of certain dye additives in candies and popcorn reportedly led to severe cases of diarrhea in children. Subsequently, these additives were promptly removed from the FDA's approved list, underscoring the critical role of ongoing vigilance in food safety.

Several key points must be underscored in discussions around food additives:

Chemistry of Foods: Every food comprises chemical compounds, many of which can be isolated and added to other foods, qualifying them as additives.
Dose-Dependent Effects: Any chemical, even those found naturally in foods, can be harmful at high concentrations when used as additives.
Safety at Low Levels: Conversely, many additives are safe for consumption when used in minimal quantities.
Scientific Evaluation: The evaluation of additives must be grounded in sensible, evidence-based scientific methods. This approach should transcend the claims of safety made by proponents and the alarm raised by opponents.

Recent advancements in food science and toxicology have allowed for a more nuanced understanding of additive safety. Regulatory bodies now conduct comprehensive assessments to determine the permissible levels and uses of additives in food processing.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plays a pivotal role in overseeing the safety of food additives. The agency rigorously evaluates each additive based on extensive scientific data, considering both short-term and long-term health implications.

Furthermore, global collaborations among regulatory agencies aim to harmonize standards and share best practices, ensuring that food additives are universally scrutinized for safety and efficacy.

In conclusion, while the utilization of chemical additives in food processing is ubiquitous, maintaining public health demands a cautious approach. Regulatory scrutiny, informed by scientific inquiry and real-world evidence, remains paramount to safeguarding consumer well-being in an increasingly complex food landscape.
The Role and Regulation of Food Additives

Chemicals in Common Foods

Certainly, foods are predominantly comprised of substances classified as chemicals or chemical compounds in their purest forms. Nonetheless, our understanding of the complete chemical makeup of foods remains incomplete due to their complex composition.

Take human milk, for instance, a crucial natural food source for humans, which is reported to contain numerous chemical compounds. This underscores the intricate and diverse array of substances present in seemingly straightforward foods.

Unfortunately, the term "chemical" is often misunderstood, leading many consumers to feel wary about purchasing foods preserved using unfamiliar chemicals. This wariness arises from a lack of understanding regarding the roles and characteristics of these chemicals.

It's noteworthy that common ingredients widely accepted in our diets, such as table salt, are themselves chemicals. Sodium chloride, the chemical name for table salt (NaCl), is extensively used not only as a flavor enhancer but also as a preservative in various food items. Despite its chemical nature, consumers are comfortable with its use due to their familiarity and frequent encounters with it.

Likewise, other commonly used additives like refined sugar, vinegar, and spices are composed of chemicals or combinations of chemicals. However, because of their familiarity and widespread incorporation into culinary practices, they typically do not raise skepticism among consumers.

The primary difference between chemicals embraced with confidence and those viewed skeptically by consumers lies in their familiarity and regular usage. Chemicals that are familiar and commonly utilized are generally accepted without reservation, whereas those that are uncommon or unfamiliar may prompt doubts or reservations. Therefore, educating consumers about the nature and functions of chemicals in food preservation could help alleviate unwarranted apprehensions and promote informed decision-making.
Chemicals in Common Foods

FDA Approval for Food

The definition and regulation of food additives under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act emphasize the importance of ensuring the safety of substances that find their way into our daily consumables. A food additive, broadly described as any substance that can, when used as intended, directly or indirectly become part of or influence the characteristics of food, undergoes rigorous scrutiny to meet the safety standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

To secure FDA approval, both food additives and ingredients generally recognized as safe (GRAS) must undergo scientific validation, establishing a reasonable certainty of no harm to consumers when integrated into food products. This meticulous evaluation process reflects the commitment to safeguarding public health and maintaining the integrity of the nation's food supply. The emphasis on scientific substantiation underscores the need for manufacturers and sponsors to provide comprehensive evidence supporting the safety of these substances.

The regulatory framework outlined in the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act places a pivotal role on FDA authorization before a food additive can be introduced to the market. Manufacturers and sponsors navigate this process by submitting a food additive petition, seeking approval for either a novel direct food additive or a modified use of an existing one, diverging from its current FDA approval. This protocol ensures that any changes or introductions align with established safety standards, promoting consumer confidence in the foods available in the market.

Despite the extensive list of over 10,000 chemicals and additives permitted in U.S. food, a noteworthy aspect is that a considerable number of them have not undergone evaluation by the FDA for many years. While the majority of these substances are generally deemed safe for consumption, some have evaded recent scrutiny. This has raised concerns, prompting a closer examination of potential risks associated with certain chemicals. In some cases, chemicals approved in the U.S. have faced bans in other countries due to emerging research linking them to adverse health effects, such as cancer, and developmental or behavioral issues.

In essence, the comprehensive regulatory framework governing food additives seeks to strike a delicate balance between innovation and safety, ensuring that the introduction of new substances or modifications to existing ones align with the highest standards of public health protection. The ongoing evaluation and scrutiny of chemicals in food underscore the commitment to adapt regulatory practices to evolving scientific knowledge, continually enhancing the safety of the food supply chain.
FDA Approval for Food

Food Additives Regulation History

The historical use of additives in food processing dates back to ancient civilizations, with practices such as preserving meat with salt and using smoke as a preservative representing early forms of food additives. These additives have significantly influenced our dietary habits, taste preferences, and socio-cultural development over time.

The regulation of food additives began in the 19th century in Britain, prompted by the efforts of Frederick Accum and aimed at preventing food adulteration.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees the regulation of food ingredients. The requirement for registering and testing additives before submission to the FDA was established in 1958, replacing the previous internal testing conducted by the FDA. The introduction of the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list recognized substances long deemed safe by scientists, exempting them from premarket clearance.

The GRAS list underwent revision in 1969 and, by 1980, included 415 substances from the 1958 project. Currently, manufacturers must demonstrate and provide evidence for their GRAS status, with approximately 100 new substances seeking GRAS certification annually.

The Delaney Act, an amendment within the 1958 law, prohibited additives associated with cancer. In 2003, the FDA introduced a "no residue" clause, allowing approval for animal feed additives or drugs inducing cancer only if no residue is found after slaughter. Critics argue the unenforceability of the Delaney Act, while the FDA maintains that the risk to consumers is minimal in cases of a slight carcinogen presence in meat or milk.
Food Additives Regulation History

Food Additives: Types and Concerns

Processed and mass-produced foods frequently incorporate food additives, which are substances added primarily for technical purposes. These additives serve various functions, such as improving safety, extending shelf life, or altering the sensory characteristics of food. Throughout history, substances like salt, spices, and sulfites have been employed to safeguard and enhance the flavor of foods.

It's noteworthy that many additives utilized by the food industry occur naturally in everyday foods. For example, MSG is found in higher quantities naturally in parmesan cheese, sardines, and tomatoes than when added as a food supplement.

Food additives can be broadly divided into three groups based on their functions: flavoring agents, enzyme preparations, and other additives that fulfill roles such as preservation, coloring, and sweetening.

Some of the most common food additives include monosodium glutamate (MSG), artificial food coloring, sodium nitrite, guar gum, and high-fructose corn syrup. These additives play a pivotal role in the development of modern products like low-calorie options, snacks, and ready-to-eat convenience foods.

Nevertheless, specific individuals may encounter issues with particular additives. Examples include flavor enhancers like monosodium glutamate (MSG) 621, food colorings such as tartrazine 102, yellow 2G107, sunset yellow FCF110, and cochineal 120. Additionally, preservatives like benzoates (210, 211, 212, 213), nitrates (249, 250, 251, 252), and sulphites (220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 228), as well as the artificial sweetener aspartame (951), may cause problems for certain individuals.

In conclusion, while food additives play a crucial role in the production and preservation of a diverse range of food products, it's essential to be mindful of potential sensitivities or reactions that some individuals may experience with specific additives.

Food Additives: Types and Concerns

Flour treatment agents

Flour treatment agents encompass any substance introduced into flour or dough with the aim of improving its baking properties and color. Their primary objectives include hastening dough rising, strengthening dough, and enhancing overall workability.

These agents contribute to the aging and maturation of flour, leading to a more attractive appearance in products made from flour and assisting in the fermentation process. Additionally, they play a role in encouraging the conversion of carotenoid pigments into free radicals at various stages of processing.

The predominant flour treatment agent utilized in bread making is Vitamin C, also recognized as ascorbic acid (E300). It functions to bolster the dough, exerting a positive influence on bread volume, crumb structure, and softness. Some bakers may opt for L-cysteine Hydrochloride, an amino acid derived from vegetable sources.

Examples of flour treatment agents that act as dough conditioners when incorporated into flour include calcium carbonate and calcium hydrogen carbonate.
Flour treatment agents

Copper Sulfate in Food

Copper sulfate is a man-made compound created through the combination of sulfur and copper. It possesses the ability to effectively eliminate various organisms, including bacteria, algae, roots, plants, snails, and fungi. The toxicity of copper sulfate is associated with its copper concentration, a crucial mineral found in the environment, food items, and water sources. It's worth noting that copper sulfate has received official approval for use in pesticide products in the United States since 1956.

Acting as a mineral salt, copper sulfate serves multiple functions, including fortifying foods and serving as both an antimicrobial and an anti-caking agent. Specifically, it is utilized as a mineral supplement in infant formula and as an anti-caking agent in powdered substances.

Historically, copper sulfate, known as blue vitriol, has been added to canned vegetables to enhance their visual appeal with a lively green color.

In the United States, copper sulfate is generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Similarly, the European Commission considers it safe for use as a micronutrient supplement.

Due to copper's essential role in supporting life, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires a minimum of 60 micrograms of copper per 100 calories in prepared infant formula.
Copper Sulfate in Food

Tracer Gas for Package Integrity and Testing

Ensuring the reliability of packaging stands as a critical factor in managing sterile products, effectively safeguarding both the product itself and the surrounding environment. This principle holds true across a broad spectrum of items, ranging from snack bags to beverage cans, where the primary objective revolves around identifying any potential instances of air leakage during the packaging phase.

In a more specific context, the utilization of protective gas environments formed by a mix of different gases (referred to as Modified Packaging Atmospheres or MAP) significantly contributes to prolonging the shelf life of perishable commodities. However, the effectiveness of this approach hinges on the consistent maintenance of gas concentrations throughout the product's designated shelf life.

Employing tracer gas offers a technique for evaluating the soundness of packaging, effectively preventing edibles from coming into contact with the external atmosphere and thereby upholding the preservation of their intended shelf life.

The process of tracer gas leak detection operates by generating a pressure contrast between the interior and exterior of the tested object. Within this procedure, the tracer gas—frequently carbon dioxide (CO2) or helium—is allowed to escape from the packaging through any potential leaks, subsequently leading to an observable shift in partial pressure within the testing chamber.

Helium gas is favored due to its minute molecular size, enabling the identification of even minor instances of leakage and thereby ensuring a heightened sensitivity in the testing process.
Tracer Gas for Package Integrity and Testing

Food Additives Overview

Food additives are substances added to food with the purpose of preserving them or improving their color, flavor, or texture. These additives include food colorings like tartrazine or cochineal, flavor enhancers like MSG, and various preservatives.

Throughout history, certain food additives have been used for preserving foods, such as salt in meats like bacon or dried fish, sugar in marmalade, or sulfur dioxide in wine.

The main objective of using additives is to ensure that processed food remains safe and maintains its quality during its entire journey from factories or industrial kitchens, through transportation to warehouses and shops, and finally reaching consumers.

Food additives serve five primary functions:

~Maintaining product consistency
~Improving or preserving nutritional value
~Ensuring palatability and wholesomeness
~Providing leavening or controlling acidity/alkalinity
~Enhancing flavor or achieving desired color

These additives are classified into various functional classes, which encompass acidity regulators, antioxidants, colors, emulsifiers, preservatives, stabilizers, sweeteners, and thickeners.

An interesting fact is that many of the food additives used in the food industry already exist naturally in foods that people consume daily. For example, MSG occurs naturally in parmesan cheese, sardines, and tomatoes in significantly higher quantities than the MSG used as a food additive.

Food additives can generally be grouped into four categories: nutritional additives, processing agents, preservatives, and sensory agents.

It is important to note that allergic reactions are most commonly triggered by additives used to enhance a food's marketable qualities, such as its color. Some of these hypersensitive reactions include digestive disorders, nervous disorders, respiratory problems, and skin issues.
Food Additives Overview

Glazing agent

Many storage techniques have been developed to extend the marketing distances and holding periods for commodities after harvest. For this, different preservation methodologies have been developed for fruits and vegetables. Several substances are known to play a role as cryoprotective and glazes in the food industry. In many instances, these glazes are processing aids.

A glazing agent is a natural or synthetic substance that provides a waxy, homogeneous, coating to prevent water loss and provide other surface protection for the substance. A substance, when applied to the external surface of a food, imparts a shiny appearance or provides a protective coating.

Example of glazing agent:
*Agar is obtained from red seaweeds of the Gelidium and Gracilaria species collected from the coasts. Agar is used in jams and marmalades, toppings, and fillings for bakery products such as doughnut glaze.

*Morpholine is used as emulsifier to wax fruits and vegetables and as a carrier for glazing agents. Now a days, morpholine is used to coat fruits and vegetables such as apples, avocados, bell peppers, cantalopes, cucumbers, eggplants, grapefruits, lemons, limes, melons, oranges, parsnips, passion fruit, peaches, pineapples, pears, pumpkins, rutabagas, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, almonds and yucca.

*Karaya gum is used as a thickener (cold make-up) and as a coating and glazing agent. Karaya particles do not normally dissolve but swell in a similar fashion to starch, although karaya generally thickens at a lower concentration than starch, forming a thick paste at 3% w/w in water.

* Beeswax may be used as a food additive E901, in small quantities acting as a glazing agent, which serves to prevent water loss, or used to provide surface protection for some fruits. Soft gelatin capsules and tablet coatings may also use E901. Beeswax is an authorized food additive in the European Union, permitted as a glazing agent on confectionery (excluding chocolate), small products of fine bakery wares coated with chocolate, snacks, nuts and coffee beans and for the surface treatment only of certain fruits (fresh citrus fruits, melons, apples, pears, peaches and pineapples).
Glazing agent

Food additive: Thickeners and vegetable gums

Food additives have been used to preserve food from one harvest to the next with better appearance and nutritional value for thousands of years. Food additives are substances added to food to keep them fresh and to preserve flavor or enhance its taste, appearance, or other qualities.

The sources of food additives are: Products of vegetable origin- Thickening agents extracted from seeds, fruit and seaweed- Colors isolated from seeds, fruits and vegetables- Acidulates such as tartaric acid from fruit.

Thickeners and vegetable gums (E400 & 1000 range) enhance the texture and consistency of food. The gums help foods stay moist and prevent baked goods, such as cookies, cakes, and breads, from going stale. Vegetable gums have code numbers in the 400 range, while modified starches are in the 1000s. E numbers are number codes for food additives and are usually found on food labels throughout the European Union.

When the thickeners and vegetable gums are added to food products then it help to improve the viscosity without altering any if its other properties such as flavor, taste, color, and texture.

The ones most widely used for vegetarian foods include guar, carrageenan, locust (carob) bean, CMC (cellulose gum), and xanthan gum. Guar gum contain galactopyranose moieties as structural units. Guar gum has been reported to be an important source of soluble dietary fiber.

Xanthan gum is a high molecular weight polysaccharide produced by a pure-culture fermentation of a carbohydrate with strains of Xanthomonas campestris.

Carrageenans are protein reactive and can form strong gels. They are currently used widely in the meat industry. Other uses include gel formation in low-fat cheeses, ice cream, and non-dairy toppings.
Food additive: Thickeners and vegetable gums

Functions and benefits of food additive guar gum

Guar gum is the ground endosperm derived from the seeds of the drought tolerant plant Cyamopsis tetragonoloba, a member of Leguminosae family.

Commercial food-grade guar gum is reported to contain usually about 80% guaran, 5–6% crude protein, 8–15% moisture, 2.5% crude fiber, 0.5–0.8% ash, and small amounts of lipids composed mainly of free and esterified plant fatty acids.

Guar gum is insoluble in organic solvents. The gum is soluble in cold water without heating to form a highly viscous so1ution. Guar gum solutions have buffering capacity and are very stable in the pH 4.0-10.5 range.

Guar gum is practically undigested, not absorbed intact, but significantly fermented by enteric bacteria in humans.

It is largely used in the form of guar gum powder as an additive in food, pharmaceuticals, paper, textile, explosive, oil well drilling and cosmetics industry. Industrial applications of guar gum are possible because of its ability to form hydrogen bonding with water molecule. Thus, it is chiefly used as thickener and stabilizer.

For example: Guar gum is added to various dairy products, such as ice cream (for preventing ice crystal growth and for textural improvement), milk shakes (for preventing serum separation and adding viscosity and shear resistance) and yogurt (for improved texture and mouthfeel and for preventing syneresis).

It is also beneficial in the control of many health problems like diabetes, bowel movements, heart disease and colon cancer.

Guar is used as: thicker, stabilizer, emulsifier, formulation aid, viscosity builder, firming agent.
Functions and benefits of food additive guar gum

Overview of meat binders

Food binders are food additives that are added to the food products in order to improves the texture by binding or thickening or the ingredients together.

Based on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) definition, binders are used to thicken or to improve texture, consistency and sensory scores of meats. Stabilizers are food additives that contribute an optimal finished meat system and provide value-added qualities to meat system applications.

During manufacturing of sausages, binders are used to improve the bind of meat and fat, improving fat and moisture retention. Binders are often used when hand mixing sausage to improve bind characteristics and to help mitigate off-flavors from some wild game.

It also can improve finished product stability, provide consistent texture and viscosity, and make food products firmer.

From pre-historic times, food binders have been used successfully in traditional food system to increase viscosity, prevent water separation and improve body texture and flavor properties sought after in modern food stabilizers.

Currently, there are many products available in the supermarket, which are made by binding comminuted meat products along with spices, seasonings, and stabilizer in to one cohesive product.

Various binders are available to meat processors. Some binders are proteins, such as soy protein isolate, pea protein, wheat protein, milk casein ate, gelatin, and egg protein.

Proteins derived from a variety of plant and animal resources have potential value as binders in restructured meat products. Some binders are derived from enzymes, such as transglutaminase and beef fibrin.

Milk proteins are also used in meat products throughout the world. Nonfat dry milk, sodium caseinate, and whey protein concentrates are used as emulsifiers and water binders. Sodium caseinates are used for ham production in Mexico, helping to retain moisture.

The binding substance carrageenan can provide significant volume increase as it is highly water absorbent. Its positive role is mainly in the manufacture of coarse products such as burgers or coarse skinless sausage products and in cooked hams.
Overview of meat binders

Additives in food: Antioxidant

Oxidation is a not a process exclusive to the human body. It occurs in every living organism and biological system, such as food products. Food oxidation may result in altered flavor, color, nutritional value, and texture, as well as create toxic compounds.

Therefore, antioxidant compounds are one of the most important conservation technologies used by the food industry with their main function being the prevention of oxidative induced degradation of foods.

Antioxidant is a molecule stable enough to donate an electron to a rampaging free radical and neutralize it, thus reducing its capacity to damage. These antioxidants delay or inhibit cellular damage mainly through their free radical scavenging property. The applications of antioxidants have been widespread in the food industry for decades; and are in use in preventing lipids from oxidative degradation. Antioxidants protect cells against the effects of harmful free radicals.

Retarding autoxidation delays the appearance of such undesirable qualities as rancidity in foods, loss of elasticity in rubbers, and formation of gums in gasolines. Antioxidants most commonly used are such organic compounds as aromatic amines, phenols, and aminophenols.

Phenolic compounds, besides being associated with antimicrobial activity, are known for their high antioxidant capacity. They are ubiquitous to plants and therefore present one interesting class of antioxidant compounds to be exploited, although other compounds with a strong antioxidant capacity can also be found, such as some vitamins (vitamin C, E, and A), bioactive peptides, polysaccharides, some minerals, and enzymes.
Additives in food: Antioxidant

Incidental or indirect food additives

A food additive, in the general sense, is "...a substance or mixture of substances, other than a basic food stuff, that is present in food as a result of any aspect of food production, processing, storage, or packaging. The term does not include chance contaminants."

Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling with vinegar, salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulphur dioxide as with wines. With the advent of processed foods in the second half of the 20th century, many more additives have been introduced.

A substance may be present in a food which have no planned function in food, but become part of it during some phase of processing, packaging, or storing. Such substances have been called incidental additives.

For instance, minute amounts of packaging substances may find their way into foods during storage. Food packaging manufacturers must prove to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that all materials coming in contact with food are safe before they are permitted for use in such a manner. The pesticide residues, mycotoxins and components of packaging are the most common incidental additives.

Since its presence serves no useful purpose in the final food product, such a substance may be considered to be an incidental additive, e.g., food may pick up material from a wrapper or a container, either by dissolving it out or by abrasion from the container into the food.
Incidental or indirect food additives

Incidental food additive

A substance may be present in a food only as a consequence of its having been used as an aid to production or storage, as for example a pesticide residue or a substance derived from a packaging material. Such substances have been called incidental additives. It can alter the food properties but not have added on purpose.

Incidental additives may be transferred to foods by contact such as ingredients of packaging or of equipment surface coating. This group of food chemicals can be broadly classified under the general heading of contaminants and residues.

The federal government regulates all foods additives and requires that food processes perform tests to determine whether additives are present in safe levels.
Incidental food additive

Intentional food additive

Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance. Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling with vinegar, salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines.

Sometimes additives are divided into two categories:
1. Intentional or direct
2. Incidental or indirect

Intentional or direct food additives are commonly those that have been deliberately added for some special function by the food processor (usually the company), while indirect additives are usually those that may have drifted into food products in minute quantities due to e.g. growing, processing, or packaging phase during the food production process.

Intentional additives have been purposely added to foods to achieve specific effects during production or processing or to impart or retain desired characteristics.

Today, more than 2500 different additives are intentionally added to foods to produce a desired effect. The use of these additives is a well-accepted practice but is not without controversy.

A food additive may only be authorized if:
• Its safety has been evaluated on the basis of the available scientific evidence
• On the basis of this evaluation, it is considered to present no hazard to the health of the consumer at the level of use proposed
• There is a technological need for its use that cannot be achieved by other economically and technologically practicable means
Intentional food additive

Annatto coloring

Annatto is one of the oldest colorants, dating back to antiquity for coloring food, cosmetics and textiles. Annatto is the orange-yellow, oil-soluble natural pigment extracted form the pericarp of the seeds of the tropical shrub Bixa orellana.

Annatto has been used as a colorant, especially in cheese and other food products, for more than 2 centuries. The main pigments in annatto are bixin and norbixin. Bixin is the monomethyl ester of a dicarboxyl carotenoid. Norbixin is the saponified form, a dicarboxyl acid of the same carotenoid.

Processing is primarily done by abrading off of the pigment in an appropriate suspending agent for production of the native bixin from the seed. Processing may alternatively involve aqueous alkaline hydrolysis with simultaneous production of norbixin. Annatto is available in both water soluble and oil soluble liquids and powders.

Annatto and its extracts are designated collectively as E160b and are permitted as a food additive in the European Union and elsewhere, and have widespread use in the food industry for the colouring of many commodities including flour and sugar confectionery, dairy and savoury products, soft drinks and fish.
Annatto coloring

Fruity flavor of ethyl butyrate

It is perhaps one of the most commonly used ester. It is small enough in molecular weight to yield a significant vapor pressure, ergo a good lift and impact.

Ethyl butyrate is a natural product of certain plants and has been detected in the volatile components from the following natural foods: US blue cheese, Beaufort mountain cheese, dalieb fruit, ripening bananas, commercial and concentrated aqueous orange essence, concord grape essence, tree-ripened nectarines and ripening kiwi fruit.

Ethyl butyrate has a fruity odor with a pineapple undernote and a sweet and analogous taste. It is virtually insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol.

This ester was granted GRAS status by FEMA (1965) and is approved as GRAS by the FDA for food use. It is used in many sweet products as an important aroma chemical. Ethyl butyrate finds its most usefulness in cherry flavors, rum and butterscotch flavors, apple flavors and chewing gum flavors.
Fruity flavor of ethyl butyrate

Furcellaran as gelling agent

Formerly known as Danish agar, furcellaran is an extracted produced from red sea weed (algae Furcellaria fastigiata) found along many coasts of the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is found mostly in Danish waters and was not commercially produced until World War II, when the shortage of Japanese agar made it necessary to find substitutes.

Furcellaran is composed if D-galactose (46-53%), 3,6-anhydro-D-galactose (30-33%) and sulfated portions of both sugars (16-20%). The molecular weight of furcellaran is believed to be in the range of 20,000 – 80,000.

Furcellaran is easily dispersed in cold water to a homogenous suspension without lumps.

Gelling properties are intermediate to agar and carrageenan. Furcellaran, with milk, provides good gels and therefore it is sued as an additive in puddings.

Furcellaran is produced in food grade only, complying with existing food and drug standards. More than 90% of furcellaran production is used in food products, with the remainder employed by the pharmaceuticals industry.

It is suitable for cake fillings and icings. In the presence of sucrose, it gels rapidly and retains food stability, even against food grade acids.

Other uses are in jams, jellies, marmalade, dietetic products, bakers jellies and in meat and fish preservation.

Furcellaran facilitates protein precipitation during brewing of beer and thus improves the final clarification of the beer.
Furcellaran as gelling agent

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