Alternatives to animal products used in food
Sweets by StuartWebster of flickr
There are many animal products in food production and cooking used for their particular structural or chemical characteristics, which often have good animal-free alternatives.
This article will help manufacturers consider alternatives to animal products so as to increase their market share, by improving food choice for religious and food intollerance groups, without exiting the food's main market, as well as raising awareness of both the animal-based products and equivalents from plants, minerals and synthetic compounds.
Gelling Agents, Thickeners and Stabilisers
Gelling agents are used to give structure to foods, and also as thickeners and stabilisers. Typical gelling agents include natural gums, starches, pectins, agar-agar and gelatin. Often they are based on polysaccharides or proteins.
They are most common in jelly and soft sweets, such as marshmallows, fruit gums, gummy bears, jelly babies, and other sweets such as Haribo (usually contain gelatin) and Starbursts (usually non-animal). Gelling agents are often used in fat-reduced foods. Sometimes they are used in medicins and food supplements, particularly gelatin in capsules. They can also be found in cosmetics, those these do not have to declare their ingredients.
Animal
- gelatin E441 - a gelling agent and stabiliser derived from animal bones and skin, normally from pigs or cows, and is a by-product of the meat and leather industry. Commonly found in sweets.
- collagen
- egg whites - stasbiliser
- egg yolks - thickener with tight temperature range
Alternatives derived from plants
- carrageenan (Irish Moss, a red alga) E407 - common gelling agent
- pectin E440 - common naturally occurring fruit-based gelling agent in jams, etc
- agar (agar-agar) E406
- guar gum E412 - does not function as well in acidic mixtures
- locust bean gum E410 - from the carob tree
- tara gum E417
- gum arabic (acacia gum) E414
- cellulose E460
- alginates E400-404 - Alginic acid E400, sodium alginate E401, potassium alginate E402, ammonium alginate E403, calcium alginate E404
- glucomannan polysaccharide gum used in east Asian cuisine from the konjac plant
- aiyu or ice jelly from the Ficus pumila climbing fig plant, also used in Asian cuisine
- starches E1404-1451
- arrowroot - a useful thickener for acidic mixtures
- cornstarch - does not thicken as well in acidic conditions
- flours (such as from rice, wheat, maize, chickpea/gram) can also be used as thickeners
- ground nuts and coconut - useful thickener in cooking
Glazing Agents
These are often used as food coatings, particularly in sweet manufacture, and sometimes to coat fresh fruit for longer shelf life.
Animal
Coatings and glazing agents containing animal products include:
Alternatives
Non-animal alternatives used as food coatings and glazing agents include:
- carnuba wax
- carnauba-polysaccharide (CPS)
- polyvinyl acetate (PVA)
- starch (including amylomaize)
- zein
Clarifyling Agents
Clarifying agents are used in fruit juice as well as wine and beer production. They do not have to be declared in ingredients lists. Thus you can only know if such a drink is kosher, halal, vegetarian, vegan etc if it declares itself to be on the labelling or the manufacturer has put this in writing somewhere else, ideally backed up by relevant accreditation, such as Vegetarian Society Approved.
Animal
- gelatin E441 - derived from animal bones and skin, normally from pigs or cows, and is a by-product of the meat and leather industry.
- isinglass - from the swim bladders of fish, is still used as a fining agent for wine and beer to remove yeast, particularly cask ales.
Alternatives derived from plants and artificial sources
- carrageenan (Irish Moss, a red alga) E407 - used in beer fining
- nylon - acts as a very fine sieve without taste problems
Sources of Information
- Wikipedia is a good starting point to find out the sources of such materials. Check that the listings there are well referenced and look at the references also.
-
Scientific research article: Alternatives to shellac coatings provide comparable gloss, internal gas modification, and quality for 'Delicious' apple fruit
Auteur(s) / Author(s)
JINHE BAI (1) ; BALDWIN Elizabeth A. (1) ; HAGENMAIER Robert H. (1) ;
Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)
(1) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Citrus & Subtropical Products Research Laboratory, 600 Avenue S, NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881, ETATS-UNIS
Résumé / Abstract
Zein, starch, polyvinyl acetate (PVA), carnauba, and carnauba-polysaccharide (CPS) coatings were compared with a commercial shellac coating using controlled atmosphere stored 'Delicious' apples (Malus ×domestica Borkh). Coated apples were stored in air at 2 °C for 2 weeks and then removed to 21 °C for an additional two weeks to simulate marketing conditions. Gloss, internal O2 and CO2 partial pressures, weight loss, flesh firmness, and contents of sugars, acids and volatiles were measured on 0, 2, and 4 weeks after coating treatment. Starch- and carnauba-coated apples had high initial gloss, similar to that found for shellac-coated fruit. Gloss of all coated fruit decreased similarly during the 4-week evaluation period, although all of the coated fruit were glossier than uncoated controls. For uncoated apples, the differences of O2 and CO2 partial pressure between internal and ambient atmosphere were =1 kPa at 2 °C, and these increased by a further 2 kPa after transfer to 21 °C. Fruit coated with shellac and starch had >10 kPa CO2, and <10 kPa O2 at 21 °C. Zein-, PVA- and carnauba-coated apples showed a less modified internal atmosphere (6-7 kPa CO2, 11-15 kPa O2). Internal partial pressures of O2 and CO2 were inversely related for most coatings, except for the CPS coating, for which partial pressures of both CO2 and O2 were low. Carnauba-, PVA-, and shellac-coated fruit lost less weight than uncoated fruit. Starch-, shellac-, and CPS-coated fruit were firmer than those from other coating treatments, and all coated fruit were firmer than uncoated control. Titratable acidity was higher in the fruit coated with CPS, starch, and shellac than in uncoated control. Ethyl alcohol and ethyl esters accumulated in starch-, shellac-, and CPS-coated fruit kept at 2 °C, but, levels of these volatiles decreased after transfer of fruit to 21 °C. Carnauba, PVA and zein coatings compared favorably to shellac for gloss and other quality characteristics.
Revue / Journal Title
HortScience ISSN 0018-5345 CODEN HJHSAR
Source / Source
2002, vol. 37, no3, pp. 559-563 [5 page(s) (article)] (36 ref.)
Langue / Language
Anglais
Editeur / Publisher
American Society for Horticultural Science, Alexandria, VA, ETATS-UNIS (1966) (Revue)
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Story posted by stephen on 2011-10-11 10:24:21.
Story last updated by sophie on 2011-10-12 21:26:22.
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