Thickeners are food additives that increase viscosity or form gels, modifying the physical properties of foods to provide a smooth, cohesive texture. They also exhibit emulsifying, stabilizing, and suspending properties. Composed primarily of polysaccharides or their derivatives, these molecules contain abundant free hydroxyl or other hydrophilic groups, enabling them to absorb water and form swollen colloidal structures that significantly enhance viscosity and density.
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![Gleditsia Sinenis Lam Gum]()
Gleditsia Sinenis Lam GumMilky white powder, more soluble in cold water, insoluble in ethanol and acetone. Gleditsia Sinensis Lam was prepared by screening, washing, degreasing, modification and homogenization.read more -
![Acetylated Distarch Adipate]()
Acetylated Distarch AdipateAcetylated distarch adipate is white to similar white powder, odorless and tasteless, insoluble in cold water and ethanol, and turns red brown when encountering iodine. Compared with the originalread more -
![Acetylated Distarch Phosphate]()
Acetylated Distarch PhosphateWhite powder, odorless, tasteless, soluble in water, insoluble in organic solvents. Compared with the original starch, its solubility, swelling power and transparency were significantly improved. Theread more -
![Oxidized Hydroxypropyl Starch]()
Oxidized Hydroxypropyl StarchPhysical and chemical properties: White, off-white, or light yellow, in granular, flake, or powder form, without visible impurities. It has the inherent smell of the product without a peculiar smell.read more -
![Oxidized Starch]()
Oxidized StarchOxidized starch is white to similar white powder, odorless, tasteless, easy to disperse in cold water, and begins to gelatinize at about 65 ℃. The viscosity of this starch paste is lower than that ofread more -
![Linseed Gum]()
Linseed GumThe granular glue is yellow crystal, the powdered glue is white to beige powder, and the dry powder has a sweet flavor or is tasteless. It has good solubility and can slowly absorb water to form aread more -
![Deacetylated Chitin]()
Deacetylated ChitinPhysical and chemical properties: white amorphous transparent material, tasteless and odorless. Chitosan is extracted from chitin. It is insoluble in water, soluble in dilute acid, and can beread more -
![Sesbania Gum]()
Sesbania GumPolysaccharide composed of D-galactose and D-mannose. The ratio of galactose to mannose is 1 ∶ 2.1. Mannose chain α- (1, 6) bond connection forms the main chain, and every other mannose on the mainread more -
![Sodium Carboxy Methyl Cellulose]()
Sodium Carboxy Methyl CelluloseNatural macromolecular compound, which is composed of multiple cellobiose composed of 2 glucose. There are three hydroxyl groups in each glucose of cellulose macromolecule, and their hydroxyl groupsread more -
![Sodium Carboxy Methyl Starch]()
Sodium Carboxy Methyl StarchGlucose, which constitutes starch, forms an ether bond with carboxymethyl (- ch2coo), that is, carboxymethyl starch.read more -
![Acid Treated Starch]()
Acid Treated StarchPhysical and chemical properties: white or off-white powder, odorless and tasteless, more soluble in cold water, gelatinized at about 75 ℃. The viscosity of acid-modified starch paste with the sameread more -
![Rtemisia Gum]()
Rtemisia GumPhysical and chemical properties white or milky yellow powder. It is insoluble in water but can be evenly dispersed in water. After absorbing water dozens of times, it swells into an egg-whiteread more
Key Characteristics
Mechanism:
Hydrate in water to form viscous sols (for suspension stability, e.g., in pulpy beverages).
Form thermo-reversible gels (e.g., in jams, jellies, or meat gels).
Sources:
Plant-based: Gums (e.g., xanthan, guar), pectins, starches (native/modified).
Seaweed extracts: Carrageenan, alginate.
Microbial/Fermented: Xanthan gum, gellan gum.
Applications in Food
| Function | Example Thickener | Food Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension Stability | Xanthan gum | Fruit juice with pulp |
| Gel Formation | Pectin, Carrageenan | Jams, yogurts, custards |
| Texture Enhancement | Modified starches | Sauces, soups, frozen desserts |
| Fat Replacement | Guar gum, Cellulose | Low-fat dairy products |
Classification by Origin & Chemistry
Polysaccharide-Based:
Neutral: Starches, dextrins.
Anionic: Pectin (requires sugar/acid), carrageenan (needs cations).
Protein-Based:
Gelatin (animal-derived), collagen.
Synthetic/Semi-synthetic:
Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), methylcellulose.
Selection Criteria
pH Sensitivity: Alginate gels with Ca²⁺; pectin requires low pH.
Thermal Stability: Xanthan gum resists heat; gelatin melts at ~35°C.
Synergistic Effects: Carrageenan + locust bean gum improves gel strength.
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