Antioxidants

Antioxidants
Antioxidants are food additives used, since about 1947, to stabilize foods that by their composition would otherwise undergo significant loss in quality in the present of oxygen. Oxidative quality changes in foods include the development of rancidity from the oxidation of unsaturated fats resulting in off-odors and off-flavors and discoloration from oxidation of pigments or other components of the food.

Although it would seem relatively simple to prevent oxidation of foods by proper packaging and precautions during handling, the facts are

• -that oxygen is difficult to exclude from food systems, especially since it is often closely associated with the food

• -that only minute amounts of oxygen are sufficient to degrade the food.

There is a large number of antioxidants and although they may function in different ways, the net effect of each is to prevent, delay, or minimize the oxidation of foods to which they are added. One of the ways by which some antioxidants function involves their combination with oxygen. Others prevent oxygen from reacting with components of the foods. When only a limited amount of oxygen present, as in a hermetically sealed container, it is possible for some antioxidants to use up all of the available free oxygen because they have a relatively great affinity for it.

Many of antioxidants used in commerce occur naturally in foods (e.g. vitamin C, vitamin E, citric acid, Amines and certain phenolics compounds). However, the amines and phenolics compounds can be toxic to humans in low concentrations; therefore, they and the synthetic antioxidants require strict regulations of their use in foods. It should be pointed out that the potency of the naturally occurring antioxidant not as great as that of the commonly used synthetic antioxidants.
Antioxidants

Sugar: The Properties

Sugar: The Properties
Sugars important in nutrition consist of monosaccharides, having the general formula C6H12O6, and disaccharides, having the general formula C12H22O11. Although the monosaccharides consist of 3-carbon sugars (trioses), 4-carbon (tetroses), 5-carbon (pentoses), and 6-carbon sugars (hexoses), only the latter are important in human nutrition as sources of energy.

Glucose, 6-carbon sugars, is one of the simplest carbohydrates found in foods. While many foods contain traces of glucose, it is found in significance amounts only in fruits, such as grapes. Fructose, also a 6-carbon sugar, is found in fruits and honey. Both of these sugars can be utilized by the body as a source of energy.

Sucrose the ordinary table sugar derived form the sugar cane and beets is a 12-carbon sugar that is broken down in the intestine to glucose and fructose, hence utilized as a source of energy.
Lactose, the 12-carbon sugar present on milk, is broken down in the intestine to glucose and galactose (6 carbon sugars), both of which can be used as sources of energy.
Sugar: The Properties

Carrageenan in Gummy Candies

Carrageenan in Gummy Candies
Gummy candies are included in a large category of confectionary products such as jellies, pastilles, and wine gums. Originally popularize in Europe, these candies were introduced to United Sates in the early 1980s. Current U.S manufacture now includes a myriad of products with various shapes, sizes, flavors, and food applications.

Traditionally the texture of gummy candies is obtained by using various water binding gelling agents, such as gelatin, starch, pectin and gum arabic. After a boiled mixture of sugars has been prepared, it is mixed with the gelling agent concentrated and then processed into various shapes by depositing into starch molds. After forming the shapes, the gummy candies are dried to their final moisture content and texture by stoving. Once the confections are removed from the starch molds and cleaned, they may be passed through glazing that wets the products with either steam or oil.

Many consumers, especially mature populations, avoid gummy candies because they stick to their teeth. Gummy candies formulated with Carrageenan offer a range of desirable textures from soft, easy to chew to firmer, short-textured candies. Gummies made width Carrageenan provide clean flavor release, decreased set-up time, and heat stability upon storage.

In addition, Carrageenan offers processing ease in gummy manufacture: It may be dry blended first with sugar and added to the hot syrup mixture. Traditional gelatin or starch based gummies must first include a step for dissolution of these ingredients.
Carrageenan in Gummy Candies