CMC Cellulose Gum in Food

As the most widely used thickener in the world, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is widely used as an excellent food additive in the food industry. Many foods add CMC as stabilizers, suspending agents, and thickeners. CMC cellulose gum can control the rheological properties, structure, flavor, and appearance of products, and its pseudo-plasticity can ensure good taste, so it is widely used in bread, dairy products, frozen foods, and beverages. What is the application of CMC cellulose gum in food?

Characteristics of CMC sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as a stabilizer for acidic beverages

CMC sodium carboxymethyl cellulose can be used to prevent protein coagulation, precipitation, and layering in yogurt. Good homogeneity ensures the stability of acid beverages and prolongs storage time. Due to the lower pH value of acidic beverages, the acid resistance of CMC sodium carboxymethyl cellulose is required to be higher. The higher the degree of substitution (DS), the better the acid resistance of CMC. At the same time, a higher product purity (≥99.5%) leads to more stable product performance. As thickeners have thickening, stabilizing, homogenizing, emulsifying, and gel properties, they are widely used in beverage processing.

The application of CMC sodium carboxymethyl cellulose in acidic dairy beverages

Yogurt beverages are a mixed milk drink with an acidic and sweet taste made from water, milk (or fermented and inactivated milk powder, yogurt), emulsifying stabilizers, citric acid, fruit flavor, and synthetic colors. Some yogurt beverage manufacturers add a small amount of fruit juice and natural pigments to the product ingredients to increase sales and attract consumers. In acidic dairy beverages, using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose can stabilize the texture of the drink, prevent precipitation and layering, improve taste, and enhance heat resistance.

In the production process, some acidic dairy beverage manufacturers only use CMC sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as a thickener and stabilizer, while others combine sodium carboxymethyl cellulose with other thickeners, stabilizers, and emulsifiers for the production of acidic dairy beverages.