Why do neutral dairy products require a specific type of high-acyl gellan gum?

High-Acyl (HA) Gellan Gum has become an important stabilizer for neutral dairy beverages such as UHT chocolate milk, flavored milk, recombined milk, and dairy-based nutritional drinks.

However, the industry faced a significant challenge during the early commercialization of HA gellan gum in dairy applications: off-flavor development during storage.

Fig. The mechanism of high acyl gellan gum caused off flavor or unpleasant odor in neutral dairy beverages

The Root Cause: Residual Fermentation Enzymes

HA gellan gum is produced through microbial fermentation. During this process, the fermentation organism generates not only gellan gum but also a variety of extracellular enzymes.

One of the most problematic is arylsulfatase, along with several other residual enzyme proteins that can remain in the final product after extraction and purification.

Although the fermentation microorganisms are eliminated during processing, these enzyme proteins may survive and remain associated with the HA gellan gum.

When such gellan gum is used in neutral dairy systems and subjected to UHT processing, residual enzymes can interact with milk components during storage.

Under certain conditions, these reactions may lead to the formation of compounds such as p-cresol (para-cresol), which is associated with:

❌ Chemical-like off-odors

❌ Medicinal notes

❌ Bitter aftertaste

❌ Reduced product acceptability

As a result, even an otherwise stable dairy beverage can develop serious sensory defects during shelf life.

How the Industry Solved the Problem

The breakthrough came through the development of specialized purification and enzyme-removal technologies.

Rather than relying solely on thermal treatment, manufacturers developed processes to eliminate or permanently deactivate residual enzyme proteins before the gellan gum enters the dairy system.

This significantly reduces the risk of off-flavor formation during storage.

A well-known example is KELCOGEL® HM-B, which was specifically developed for neutral dairy applications requiring long shelf life and flavor stability.

At CAG Hydrocolloids, advanced HA gellan gum processing technology is used to remove residual enzyme activity, allowing our dairy-grade HA gellan gum to be used confidently in neutral dairy beverages and UHT chocolate milk applications.

Why Use HA Gellan Gum Instead of Carrageenan?

Once the enzyme issue is addressed, HA gellan gum offers several advantages over traditional carrageenan systems.

1. Better Thermal Processing Flexibility

HA gellan gum typically sets at temperatures around 70–80°C, significantly higher than carrageenan systems.

This means the product remains fluid throughout much of the UHT filling process, allowing:

✔ Higher filling temperatures

✔ Reduced cooling time

✔ Improved production efficiency

✔ Lower contamination risk

2. Less Dependence on Milk Protein Structure

Carrageenan stabilization relies heavily on interactions with κ-casein.

When protein levels become lower—as in:

• Recombined milk
• Whey-based beverages
• Reduced-protein dairy drinks
• Nutritional beverages

the effectiveness of carrageenan can decline significantly.

HA gellan gum, however, stabilizes suspended particles primarily through its own network structure and therefore performs well across a much wider range of protein concentrations.

3. Excellent Suspension Performance

HA gellan gum is highly effective for suspending:

• Cocoa particles
• Calcium salts
• Protein aggregates
• Nutritional ingredients

while maintaining a smooth drinking texture.

This makes it particularly attractive for UHT chocolate milk and fortified dairy beverages.

Key Takeaway

The success of HA gellan gum in neutral dairy products depends not only on the polymer itself, but also on the removal of residual fermentation enzymes.

Without proper enzyme control, off-flavor compounds such as p-cresol may develop during storage.

With advanced purification and enzyme-removal technology, HA gellan gum becomes a highly effective stabilizer that offers:

✅ Excellent suspension performance

✅ Greater processing flexibility

✅ Broad protein compatibility

✅ Long-term flavor stability

These advantages have made dairy-grade HA gellan gum an increasingly important alternative to traditional carrageenan systems in modern UHT dairy beverages.

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Fig. CAG offers enzyme free high acyl gellan gum for neutral dairy beverages. 

For the best hydrocolloid solution tailored to your specific product, please feel free to contact our technical support team at info@cagcolloids.com.