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Curdlan (polysaccharide gel) is generated by microbial fermentation of a polysaccharide. The substance can be heated for its solidification property.
The properties of Curdlan
Solubility: Curdlan can be dissolved in alkaline solution, but does not dissolve in water. Curdlan is insoluble in water, but it is easily dispersed in cold water, and can be handled through the high-speed mixing to form a more homogeneous dispersion. Curdlan can be completely dissolved in Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium phosphate, Calcium phosphate and other alkaline aqueous solutions (pH>12).
Gel strength increases with the rise of curdlan density.
(1) Thermal stability: Curdlan gel has strong thermal stability. It also keep this property in food processing and high-temperature cooking in kitchen, for example, deep-fried, microwave and other heating conditions.
(2) Freeze-resistance: The construction of curdlan does not change in frozen and thawed process, so it can be used in frozen food also.
(3) Hydro-dissection: occurs when curdlan gel is directly used in processed foods . Hydro-dissection increases with the climb of temperature, while decreases when curdlan’s density increases. It can be inhibited by adding available starch (corn starch, chemical starch without ageing).
2. The usage of Curdlan
Used as quality improver: Add Curdlan or its dispersion to conventional food in order to improve the quality and crunchiness. To improve crunchiness, thermal stability, water retention, curdlan powder, dispersion or swelling or dissolution solution can be added. None special technique is required. General food factories could just make a simple application of adding curdlan with other raw material. Curdlan can absorb water about 100times its own quantity, so only a small amount of curdlan is needed, the general additive amount is below 1%.
Direct use of curdlan gel: this is a direct use of curdlan to produce food. Put curdlan with thermal irreversibility together with other food material, we can produce new food. It need to use higher density curdlan, and homogeneous curdlan dispersion is vital.
Other industrial applications: It is valued and applied in bio-pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, building materials industry and other industries. (Curdlan Packaging specifications: 1kg / bag, 10 bags / box)
3 Standard Usage of curdlan:
A. Use as food quality improver
1. Cooked wheaten food: Such as noodles, instant noodles and other pasta. Curdlan can increase elasticity, chewing sense, prevent burnt, slimy and soup muddy. Standard usage:0.1~1% forwheat flour.
2. Aquatic products. Curdlan can make food flexible, improve taste, prevent burnt, substitute fish and improve yield. Standard usage: 0.1 ~ 1%.
3. Meat products. Such as sausage, ham meat. Curdlan can improve water retention and firmness, improve food taste, make sausages more stable. Standard usage: 0.1 ~ 1%.
4. Cooked food, snacks. Such as hamburgers, fried chicken, dumplings, siu mai. Curdlan can improve water retention, food quality and taste, improve various types of food, remove the protein taste of soybean. Standard usage: 0.2 ~ 2%.
5. Sauce. Curdlan can increase viscosity, anti-sedimentation, improve quality. Standard usage: 0.2 ~ 2%.
6. Canned food: Curdlan can anti-drip, penetration and improve quality. Standard usage: 0.2 ~ 1%.
7.Others: Curdlan can improve cakes’ water retention during frozen, inhibit fried food’s oil absorption, absorption ion, substitute fat to achieve low-fat effects. Standard usage: 0.2 ~ 1%.
B. Direct use of Curdlan
1.1.Man-made meat and aquatic products. Be able to reproduce the tastes of various types of food material to enhance heat resistance, freeze, and I would replace the protein and soy protein and so on. Standard use of 3 ~ 10%.
2.2.Tofu processing. Enhanced heat resistance, freeze, improved fresh sense of improvement of shape. Standard usage of 0.5 ~ 5%.
3.3. Fat instead of plastic. Cooked food, Meat and other processed products of low-fat foods. Standard use 2 ~ 4%.
4. Other. If frozen gel food products, edible mask and so on. A heat-resistant and frozen nature of the improvement of formability can be heated frozen gel food, mixed in starch can get a sense of fresh food. Standard use of 1 ~ 10%.
The check report of product quality
Sense | |||
Color | White to nearly white | pass | |
Odor | Odorless or almost odorless | pass | |
Appearance | Free-flowing powder | pass | |
Gel strength (2% aqueous suspension) | g/cm2 | >500 | 760 |
Purity | |||
Loss on drying | % | <10 | 6.91 |
Ash | % | <7 | 1.2 |
pH (1% aqueous suspension) | 6.0-7.5 | 6.80 | |
Nitrogen content | % | <1.8 | <1.8 |
Heavy(As pb ) | ppm | <20 | <10 |
Arsenic ( As2O3) | ppm | <2 | <2 |
Others | |||
Particle size | |||
80 Mesh | % | 100% Through | Pass |
120 Mesh | % | >98 | Pass |
Total plate count | cfu/g | <10000 | 630 |
E.coli | MPN/100g | <30 | Negativee |
Curdlan Gum