Dairy Processing - January/February 2023 - 35

rapidly in cold water to give a reliable viscosity, with a little going a
long way. Its consistent water-holding ability makes it a very effective
tool for controlling syneresis. When used in combination with
carrageenan, xanthan contributes synergistically to the formation of a
thermoreversible gel, meaning that less carrageenan is required to form
the gel.
Any Way
Syneresis is the expulsion of lightly bound water in a matrix into
free water. Think of that pocket of liquid in a container of sour cream.
In cheesemaking, syneresis refers to the expulsion of whey when the
coagulated milk is cut.
Guar gum also is commonly used in cultured dairy applications to
prevent the development of standing water. Guar gum is obtained from
plant seeds. The powdered ingredient disperses and swells almost
completely in cold water to form a highly viscous solution. Like xanthan,
it is not self-gelling, and has an extremely high water-binding capacity.
Federal regulations dictate the composition
of many dairy foods. With butter, for
example, the minimum butterfat content in
American butters is 80%.
Native starches typically form non-thermoreversible gels and will
retrograde over time, which results in syneresis. Hence, historically,
chemically modified food starches have been used to bind moisture
in dairy products, as modification adds stability and resistance to
retrogradation and syneresis. With the trend toward cleaner labeling,
formulators are revisiting the use of native starches, in particular those
that have been physically modified for improved functionality.
A number of clean-label functional fibers deliver similar
functionalities as hydrocolloids in dairy applications. This includes
thickening, emulsifying stabilization, reduced syneresis and fat reduction.
Hydrocolloids are especially useful in the stabilization of dairy
products with lower fat or solids content. In full-fat yogurt, for example,
fat is entrapped in the protein network and upon consumption, yields
a lubricating effect on the tongue and palette, imparting a creamy
sensation. When fat is reduced or removed, there's a change in the
texture and mouthfeel. To achieve the creamy sensation associated with
full-fat yogurt, gelatin is often the hydrocolloid of choice. This is because
gelatin can absorb five to 10 times its weight in cold water. Specifically
with yogurt, gelatin prevents whey from being expelled from the casein
gel. The gelatin molecules form a lattice in the casein gel during the
gelling process that gets stabilized by hydrogen bonding.
With frozen desserts, hydrocolloids play an important role in the
product at two separate junctions in its lifecycle, at both the mix and
frozen stages. With the mix, hydrocolloids aid in suspension and help
to provide emulsion stability. When the mix gets processed to a frozen
state, the hydrocolloids hold water in place, thereby reducing iciness and
preventing a coarse texture from developing during heat-shock cycles.
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Dairy Processing - January/February 2023

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