Food Gels

The food technologist who wishes to produce a gelled product is faced with two basic options for achieving the desired effect; whether to use a protein or a polysaccharide. Although a gel can be formed by either a protein or a polysaccharide, the resultant gels have different characteristics: • Polysaccharide gels are characterised by their fine texture and transparency which is achieved at a low polymer concentration. They can be formed by heating and cooling, pH adjustment or specific ion...