Please join us for today’s seminar presented by Tianci Li entitled “Phase separation of mixed hydrocolloids in gummy system”
Time: 12:05-12:55
Location: Room 205, Babcock Hall
ABSTRACT
The growing consumer demand for healthy candies and gummies has presented manufacturers with both opportunities and challenges for innovation. Gelatin derived from animals holds a significant market share in the gummy and jelly industry, which indicates a need for the development of higher-quality vegan/plant-based alternatives. Since blended hydrocolloids are believed to have synergistic effects on gel strength or to produce gel textures intermediate to those of individual hydrocolloids, the use of multiple gelling agents has become more common in modern products. In complex systems, phase separation is more likely to occur due to limited thermodynamic compatibility between molecules. Phase separation refers to the phenomenon in which a homogeneous solution containing mixed biopolymers de-mixes into liquid phases with differing polymer concentrations in each phase. This study aims to investigate the interactions among three different hydrocolloids—starch, high-methoxyl pectin, and agarose—in a high-viscosity gummy system, and how various factors influence phase separation and the final gel properties.
