What Is Konjac Gum
Konjac gum is extracted from the tuber of konjac, and its main component is glucomannan. It is a non-ionic water-soluble polymer polysaccharide. It has synergy, mutual solubility or synergy with most anionic and non-ionic edible gums. Because of its natural, healthy and safe characteristics, it is widely used in beverages, jellies, ice cream, meat products, flour products and other foods.
Function of Konjak Gum:
1.As a soluble dietary fiber, it can form a protective layer around food to prevent digestive enzymes from interacting with food.
2.It can absorb water and expand (80-100 times) in water, which can inhibit appetite, produce a sense of satiety, and reduce food intake.
3.It can delay and prevent the absorption of cholesterol, monosaccharides and other nutrients, so as to reduce the synthesis of fatty acids in the body.
4.It has the function of moistening the intestines and defecating, which can increase the amount of defecation, so it has the function of intestinal cleansing
Advantages of Konjac Gum:
Konjac gum is a kind of non-ionic water-soluble polymer polysaccharide, which contains rich hydroxyl groups and is easily soluble in water. It can expand 80~100 times after absorbing water, and has the characteristics of non-Newtonian fluid. At the same time, up to now, the viscosity of 1% Konjak gum sol is the highest among the water-soluble vegetable gums found. Compared with Xanthan gum, Guar gum, locust bean gum and other additives, Konjak gum has a huge advantage, and it is little affected by salt in the food system.
Application of konjak gum in food processing:
Used as a stabilizer for ice cream to make the taste smooth and delicate;
As a baking food additive for biscuits, cakes, etc., the product has a smooth appearance and loose texture;
It can increase the strength of the line and the toughness of the noodles;
As a stabilizer of beer foam, the bubbles are fine and uniform after pouring, and the hanging time is long;
As a clarifying agent for fruit juice and alcohol;
As a food preservative, it can inhibit the proliferation of aerobic microorganisms and prolong the preservation period of eggs, meat, fish, fruits and vegetables.
Microcapsules can be made by using the film-forming property of konjac gum. The products produced by microcapsule technology can protect the embedded particulate materials from adverse reactions with other components, and isolate them from external adverse environmental factors. While maintaining the original color, aroma and taste of the materials, it reduces the deterioration loss or prolongs the quality preservation time, improves the product quality, stabilizes some materials that are not easy to store or process, and expands the scope of use of solid with good fluidity, The production process is simplified.
Konjak Gum Compounding Trend:
No matter how excellent a single colloid is, it is not omnipotent. In the face of the food processing environment and the diversity of food market demand, konjak gum needs to play a synergistic role (compounding) with other colloids.
Konjac gum has the characteristics of adhesion, water absorption, thickening, emulsifying and other functions. When it is used in minced meat products with the double helix winding mechanism of Carrageenan, its thickening and water absorption can effectively prevent the water and oil separation of minced meat products and improve the adhesion of minced meat products. After heating and cooling the konjac glue dispersion, a solution with pseudoplastic fluid characteristics can be obtained, and the pH value of the solution is between 5.0-7.0. Under alkaline conditions, because part of the Acetate group is removed, the solution can form a thermally stable elastic gel. Konjak gum and Xanthan gum have great synergistic function. The compound solution can form a thermally reversible gel under neutral conditions. The gel strength increases with the increase of gel concentration and gel time, but decreases with the increase of metal ion concentration. Konjac gum combined with Carrageenan can effectively improve the strength of gel and increase the elasticity of gel, while the reaction with corn starch can increase the viscosity.
