FAQs

How does the inclusion of locust bean gum in a k-carrageenan system for pet foods modify the gel, and what is the analogous modification strategy for gellan gum?

In gelled pet foods, k-carrageenan is often used not alone, but in blends with locust bean gum and potassium chloride. The inclusion of locust bean gum with k-carrageenan provides a key textural modification: it results in a less brittle, more cohesive gel than what is obtained with k-carrageenan alone. The analogous strategy to achieve a similar reduction in brittleness for a gellan gum-based system is to blend the low-acyl (brittle) gellan gum with the xanthan gum/locust bean gum synergistic combination. This blend progressively reduces brittleness and increases elasticity, effectively moving the texture away from the inherent brittleness of pure low-acyl gellan gum towards a more cohesive, rubbery texture similar to that of the carrageenan/LBG system.