ABSTRACT
Carbohydrates are the major components of many foods, and their diversity of structure is matched by their diversity of function. They have been traditionally categorized into simple sugars and polysaccharides: The former are used for their sweetening power, preservative action, and crystallinity, whereas the latter confer body, texture, and colloid properties. The polysaccharides, consisting of monoglycerides bound to each other by glycosidic linkages, include cellulose, collagen, glucans, alginates, pectin, and starch.
