Application of Xanthan Gum in Ham Sausage

Xanthan gum is light yellow or white granules or powder, slightly smelly, and has no toxic side effects. It is easily soluble in water, insoluble in most organic solvents, resistant to acid, alkali and salt, and insensitive to temperature and enzymes. In addition, xanthan gum also has obvious pseudoplasticity. Xanthan gum dissolves in water to form a weak gel structure, which increases the viscosity of the aqueous solution. Therefore, it can be used as a thickener and stabilizer in food fields such as beverages and condiments. Because there are hydrophilic and lipophilic groups on its molecules, it can play a certain emulsifying role in protein beverages, milk and dairy products and other foods, and improve product stability.

Ham sausage is a meat processed food. It is made of fresh frozen livestock meat, poultry meat, and fish meat as the main raw materials. It is marinated, stirred, chopped (or emulsified), stuffed into plastic casings, and sterilized at high temperature to make meat sausage products. It is characterized by delicate meat, fresh and tender, easy to carry, simple to eat, and long shelf life.

Starch or modified starch, as well as food-grade hydrophilic colloids, are often used in the production of ham sausage to thicken and shape it and improve its taste. Xanthan gum is a microbial polysaccharide that can be compounded with starch and various types of hydrophilic colloids to improve the texture and taste of various foods. Therefore, it can be widely used in various types of ham sausages or meat sausages. Xanthan gum can improve the taste and texture characteristics of the product; increase the oil and water retention of the ham sausage, and extend the shelf life of the product.

Xanthan gum can effectively improve the hardness and chewiness of the ham sausage, making the product stand up better and chewier. At the same time, it can be well compounded with carrageenan, and has little effect on the elasticity of the product. Reasonable use of xanthan gum can improve the oil and water retention of the product, making it easier for the product to maintain a longer shelf life, and reduce or weaken the phenomenon of dryness and hardness on the surface. At the same time, it reduces the oil separation rate of the ham sausage, slows down the overflow of the internal oil of the product, and makes it taste better.

With the deepening of research, xanthan gum can be widely used in the food field as a thickener, emulsifier, suspending agent, etc. due to its excellent and unique physical and chemical properties and food safety, so as to enhance the stability of food, improve the quality of food, extend the shelf life of food, improve the taste of food, etc., and has huge market value. In addition, xanthan gum is a microbial extracellular polysaccharide that is not digested by the human body and has low calories, so it can be used as a good dietary fiber in functional foods.

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