ABSTRACT
Hydrocolloids or gums have many functional properties that make them useful in food applications. These properties run the gamut of functionality from adhesiveness to whippability and are all derived from the basic major property of viscosity or thickening common to all gums. The property common to all gums or hydrocolloids is that of imparting viscosity or thickening to aqueous solutions or dispersions. Flow properties of gums are dependent upon viscosity behavior, concentration, temperature, molecular weight, shear rate, shear stress, pH, and ions (active ingredients). All hydrocolloids, by definition, have thickening and viscosity-producing properties, but only a comparatively few have gelling properties. These gelling characteristics vary so widely from one gum to another that they cannot substitute for each other in most applications. Gelatin is unique in the spectrum of gelling agents. It is the most versatile and can form aqueous gels with water at any pH and without the need for any other additives, such as metallic cations or sugars.
