Abstract:

Food gums can not only improve the quality of foods and stabilize foods, but also enhance their emulsifying and gelling properties. In this study, the effects of added four gums including gelatin, carrageenan, sodium alginate and xanthan gum on the texture characteristics of sandwich ham were investigated. Among the four gums, the addition of carrageenan exhibited the most favorable effect on the texture characteristics of sandwich ham, while the sandwich ham added with sodium alginate had the worst texture characteristics. The study demonstrated that form and amount of added gum also affected the texture characteristics of sandwich ham. A three-factor and three-level orthogonal test design was carried out to select the optimal gum from gelatin, carrageenan and xanthan gum as well as its form and amount. The results showed that the sandwich ham added with 0.3% carrageenan in powder form attained the highest comprehensive sensory score.

Key words: sandwich ham, food gums, physical texture, quality