Food Chemistry, Nutrition and Safety

Functionality and Behaviour of Hydrocolloids

Submit Abstract Register Now

Hydrocolloids or gums are a diverse group of long chain polymers characterized by their property of forming viscous dispersions and/or gels when dispersed in water. They produce a dispersion, which is intermediate between a true solution and a suspension, and exhibits the properties of a colloid. Considering these properties, they are appropriately termed as ‘hydrophilic colloids’ or ‘hydrocolloids’. Hydrocolloids have a wide array of functional properties in foods including thickening, gelling, emulsifying, stabilization, coating and etc.. The primary reason behind the ample use of hydrocolloids in foods is their ability to modify the rheology of food systems. This includes two basic properties of food systems that is, flow behaviour (viscosity) and mechanical solid property (texture). The modification of texture and/or viscosity of food systems help modify its sensory properties, therefore hydrocolloids are used as significant food additives to perform specific purposes.