Synergies between yellow mustard & other gums explained

Considerable research has been done on the synergies between yellow mustard gums (known as mucilage) and other gums (known as galactomannans) and how they work when applied to food products. Anthony Krijger of Dunmustard takes us on a scientific journey of how each ingredient can impact your final product.

Gums are added to various sauces and foods to thicken and emulsify. This is well-known and common in the food industry. What is not recognised is the fact that mustard gums, or mucilage, when added together with galactomannans in food and sauces, can actually improve the performance of other gums.

There has been considerable research done by the University of Manitoba, Canada as well as Aristotle University, Thessalonica, Greece. Notable researchers are Steve W Cui, Michael A N Eskin, Ying Wu, C G Biliaderis & ShaodongDing from whose research I’ve outlined briefly in this article.

One of the many examples of this is the combination of locust bean gum (LBG) with yellow mustard mucilage (YMM) in a salad dressing. Tests were done on a ratio of (YMM LBG 9:1) and the stability and rheological properties were markedly better than the same tests done with xanthan gum.

Mustard gums are commonly used in processed meat products as condiments and also used as bulking agents. Likewise, a small amount of LBG added to YMM significantly improves the gelling strength of the product. Tests done on chicken meat emulsions found that the addition of YMM and LBG significantly improved the gel strength of the product after processing.

It’s well-known that gums can affect the swelling power of starches and it has often been seen as a disadvantage. However, in certain cases this can be a distinct advantage. Although the gelling hardness decreases, syneresis also decreases when using a combination of

YMM and LBG in 9:1 ratio. Syneresis in starch gels is common and without additions of gums, syneresis continues without the addition of hydrocolloids. The degrees of syneresis decrease along with the increases in hydrocolloid concentration.

Pea starch has become popular due to its natural non-GMO and non-allergenic properties and therefore clean labeling. Like other starches, products exhibit syneresis until they are blended with hydrocolloids.Again, with a combination of YMM andLBG in 9:1 ratio, syneresis in pea starch slows, especially over a period of days. This decrease in syneresis is attributed to the interaction between YMM and amylose.

To explain how these function: polysaccharides have functional properties such as emulsifying or thickening, stabilising, and gel formation. These are all desirable properties in food and sauce production. These interact with other materials such as proteins and starches. They modify the others’ properties, some of them synergistic, such as increasing viscosity, gelation and decreasing syneresis. This has led to gums and mustard being increasingly popular in the food industry. The fact that they are natural products and are able to be used in Kosher, Halaal, vegetarian and vegan foods has made them all the more desirable. •

Dunmustard – www.gsdunn.com