Food additives data book - wordpres

Polysaccharides 720
NAME: Pectin
CATEGORY: Polysaccharides
FOOD USE: All food products/ Edible films and coatings
SYNONYMS: CAS 9005-69-5/ EINECS 232-553-0/ E440a/ Citrus pectin/ Pectinate/ Pectinic acids/ Pectic acids/
Pectates/ Polygalacturonic acid/ E440b/ Amidated pectin
FORMULA: Variable, depending on degree of methanol esterification and the presence of other substituents (acetyl
units, neutral sugar side chains, rhamnose, ferulic acid, etc.)
MOLECULAR MASS: Variable, generally 100,000
ALTERNATIVE FORMS: Polygalacturonic acids (low-methoxyl pectins) are called pectinic acids; salts of pectic acids are
pectates (e.g. sodium pectate). Polygalacturonic acids esterified with methanol (high-methoxyl pectins)
are called pectinic acids and salts are called pectinates. Amidated pectins and salts
PROPERTIES AND APPEARANCE: White powder or syrup
SOLUBILITY % AT VARIOUS Solubility in aqueous solution varies with differences in structure, molecular weight, pH and cations.
TEMPERATURE/pH COMBINATIONS: Generally, pectins are soluble in water, sucrose solutions, sodium chloride solution and low
concentration ethanol solutions, but solubility in vegetable oils and propylene glycol is limited. Pectins
are insoluble in the presence of divalent or trivalent salts.
Above pH 5 pectins start to deesterify spontaneously; below pH 2.5, hydrolysis occurs so pectins are
primarily suited for acidic foods
FUNCTION IN FOODS: Gelling agent; thickening agent; stabiliser; flocculant; bulking agent. It can be used to stabilise
emulsions and to retard ice-crystal formation
ALTERNATIVES: Alginates; carrageenans; chitosan; xanthan; furcellaran (application-dependent)
TECHNOLOGY OF USE IN FOODS: Pectins should be dispersed in cold water and heated to 80°C for 10 minutes to hydrate the
polysaccharide. A high shear mixer will aid dispersion, although prolonged shear of high molecularweight
polymers will reduce the viscosity.
High-methoxyl pectins (pectinates/pectinic acid) can, in the presence of large quantities of material
(usually sugar), spontaneously form gels in the absence of polyvalent ions. Gel strength increases with