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Application
Carboxymethylcellulose
(CMC) (E466) is a modified cellulose gum (cellulose
is also known as plant fibre). In foods, it is used as
a stabiliser,
thickener, film former, suspending agent and extender.
Applications include ice cream, dressings, pies, sauces,
and puddings. It is available in various viscosities depending
on the function it is to serve.
CMC tends to give clear, slightly gummy, solutions. It is generally soluble
in cold water but difficult to disperse in hot. CMC is used to thicken dry
mix beverage, syrups, ripples and ice cream, and also to stabilise ice cream,
batters
and sour
milk.
It gives moisture retention to cake mixes and water binding and thickening to
icings.
| APPLICATION |
FUNCTION |
| Acid milk drinks |
Prevents phase separation, protects milk
protein and improves mouth feel. |
| Instant Cocoa drink |
Improves mouth feel and stabilises emulsion.
Fat replacement. |
| Ice Cream & sorbets |
Controls ice crystal growth, reduces meltdown.
Viscosity control. |
| Cheese spreads |
Fat and milk protein replacement. Improved
yield. Syneresis prevention. |
| Yoghurt Fruit preparations |
Milk protein protection. Syneresis prevention.
Viscosity control. |
| Syrups and toppings |
Viscosity control and flow management. |
| Bakery products |
Improved freeze-thaw stability, Staling
control, Improved air cell structure and texture |
| Soups and sauces |
Protein protection. Viscosity control.
Freeze-thaw stability. |
| Marinades and dressings |
Protein protection. Viscosity control.
Suspension of insoluble material. |
| Alcoholic liqueurs |
Thickening and stabilisation. Protein protection.
Viscosity control. |
Chemistry
Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) (E466) is extracted from plant
tissue, mainly wood pulp and cotton, but because it is chemically modified it
cannot be classified as a natural food ingredient. Native cellulose is inert
and insoluble, but
modification makes it soluble.
Nutritionally, cellulose has no calorific value; it is not digested by humans
and is, therefore, very useful in low calorie products.
A wide range of types and grades is available and each is well defined in terms
of performance properties.
Properties
CMC is soluble in cold water to give clear and colourless solutions with neutral
flavour.
Viscosity production is the primary property of CMC.
With instant products, CMC is used to provide the required rapid build-up of
viscosity, for example in powdered beverages.
The viscosity produced by CMC contributes to the stabilisation of frozen products
such as ice cream, water ices and ripples. Benefits include the conservation
of texture and inhibition of ice crystal formation, a slow meltdown and an improved
resistance to dripping and better heat shock resistance.
The thickening effects of CMC can be used in products such as salad dressings
and tomato sauces. CMC properties that make it suitable for these applications
include its rapid solubility in both hot and cold water, its good water binding
and good tolerance to low pH levels.
For soft drinks CMC provides body or mouth feel to low calorie drinks sweetened
with intense sweeteners, to more closely match the mouth feel obtained with sucrose
or glucose syrup, and to inhibit 'neck ringing' by flavour oils in beverages.
Bakery products also benefit from incorporation of CMC. In cake mixes and batter
mixes, CMC can improve the volume yield as a result of its viscosity drop during
baking and improve the suspension and distribution of ingredients such as fruit.
CMC can also provide improved yields and improved moistness after storage, and
be used to increase yield or retard staling and hence prolong shelf life.
Typically the dosage level of CMC used in food products is 0.1 – 0.3% w/w.
It is normal to fix the dosage and change the grade of CMC used to get the target
viscosity required.
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