Food & Beverage Asia June/July 2020

INGREDIENTS
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time inhibit any processes that could
destabilise the foam. The right type of
gelatine needs to be specified in close
cooperation with gelatine manufacturers,
such as Gelita, to meet these conditions.
Otherwise, the foam might not be of the
desired quality. For instance, the bubbles
may not be homogenous in size so they
may not deliver a stable foam structure, or
their density may be too high so the foam
may be too tough.
Gelita helps manufacturers to find the right gelatine formulation for every marshmallow creation
(Credit: dusk; Adobe Stock )
the most integral and indispensable parts
of marshmallow formulation, acting as a
foaming and stabilising agent. Although
there are other ingredients which are
able to build foams, none of them gives
marshmallows its typical fluffy and elastic
structure, which remains intact over
lengthy storage periods. Without gelatine,
modern-day marshmallow cannot be
produced.
Core properties
In order to fully understand why this is
the case, it helps to know what gelatine
actually is – which different properties it
contains, and which type has to be chosen
to work as the ideal foaming agent.
Gelita’s gelatine consists of purified
proteins derived from natural sources. It is
produced by hydrolysis of native collagen
with hot water. In its natural state, gelatine
is a pale yellow, dry powder which is free
from any additives or preservatives. It
contains 84-90% protein, 1-2% mineral
salts, and 8-15% water. Being a pure and
high-grade protein consisting of partially
hydrolysed collagen, gelatine is easy to
digest and has no allergenic potential.
The world gelatine is derived from the
Latin gelatum, meaning “frozen” – which
nearly sums up gelatine’s core properties:
in water, gelatine swells rapidly and then,
after heating, dissolves into a viscous
solution that forms a clear gel which
looks like ice when it cools down. Gelatine
is thus able to build thermoreversible
gels with different gelling powers in
aqueous systems. And most importantly
for marshmallows, it possesses the ability
to build and stabilise foams.
Different types of gelatine are generally
categorised by their gelling power, or
“bloom value”. Depending on its field of
application and the desired end product,
the required bloom value of a gelatine
can vary. Due to the fact that gelatine
comprises a mixture of protein chains
of different lengths, it does not display
a uniform molecular weight. This means
that a broad range of gelatine types with
different chemical behaviours can be
produced. Alongside their gelling power,
each type is determined by properties such
as viscosity, colour, clarity and a number
of other parameters.
Choice is crucial
To achieve the desired marshmallow, it is
important for the manufacturer to use the
right type of gelatine. It must be able to
promote foam building and at the same
Foam formation and stabilisation are very
complex procedures, which unfortunately
cannot be made simple. Gelatine’s ability
to lower the surface tension of watery
systems means that air can easily be
brought into a gelatine solution when it
is whipped. But because air has a lower
density than water and does not dissolve
in these systems, it tends to form larger
bubbles that rise up and separate from the
water phase. However, gelatine’s ability
to lay elastic and flexible films around the
bubbles and thus stabilise them makes it
an optimal foaming agent and stabiliser.
Gelatine also inhibits foam degradation.
In marshmallow manufacturing, gelatine
additionally prevents the recrystallisation
of saccharose, giving end products a soft
and springy texture, as well as longer
shelf life.
In every case, choosing the right type of
gelatine is of paramount importance for a
successful outcome. The technical features
of the chosen gelatine type must be a
“perfect fit” for the product’s demands. If
they are not, then even if all of the other
components of a formulation seem to be
correct, loss of product quality can occur.
This is because the properties of different
types of gelatine are largely linked to their
foaming and stabilising properties, and
thus to their suitability for the manufacture
of marshmallows.
Gelita supports all of its customers with
in-depth expertise in this field, along
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2020