Firming Agent
Firming agents are food additives added in order to precipitate residual pectin, thus strengthening the structure of the food and preventing its collapse during processing.
These are salts, typically lactates or phosphates, calcium salts or aluminum sulfates.
They are mainly used for (fresh) fruit and vegetables. For example, in the case of fruit sold cut into wedges, the pulp can be sprayed with a solution of the respective salt. They are salts that react with an ingredient in the product, such as the pectin in the fruit.
The firming agent those in our stock including:
Calcium Chloride
As a firming agent, calcium chloride is used in canned vegetables, in firming soybean curds into tofu and in producing a caviar substitute from vegetable or fruit juices. It is commonly used as an electrolyte in sports drinks and other beverages, including bottled water.
The extremely salty taste of calcium chloride is used to flavor pickles without increasing the food’s sodium content. Calcium chloride’s freezing-point depression properties are used to slow the freezing of the caramel in caramel-filled chocolate bars. Also, it is frequently added to sliced apples to maintain texture.
Calcium Gluconate
Calcium Gluconate is made up of white, crystalline granules or is a powder that is soluble in alcohol and other organic solvents. It is used in the food industry as a nutrient, firming agent, stabilizer, and texturizer in grain products and beverages.
Calcium gluconate is a plant tissue culture macronutrient which can serve as an alternate source of calcium over calcium chloride if chloride toxicity is an issue.
