Carrageenan and gelatin both belong to the category of edible hydrocolloids. While carrageenan is classified as a seaweed-derived hydrocolloid, and gelatin is derived from animals, they are widely used in food processing in frozen foods, meat products, ice cream, yogurt, gummy candies, and more. Before delving into the differences in carrageenan and gelatin production methods, let's first understand what carrageenan and gelatin are.
What are Carrageenan and Gelatin
Carrageenan, white or light brown granules or powder, odorless or slightly odorous, with a smooth texture, is primarily extracted from red algae such as Irish moss, Gigartina, and Chondrus crispus. It is a hydrophilic colloid, Irish moss gum, Gigartina gum, Chondrus gum, or carrageen. Due to different sulfate ester binding forms, carrageenan can be categorized into seven types: κ-type, ι-type, λ-type, γ-type, ν-type, ξ-type, and μ-type, with the first three being the most commonly produced and used.
Gelatin, derived from animal skin, bones, membranes, and connective tissue collagen, is a white or light yellow, semi-transparent, slightly glossy thin sheet or granules. Therefore, it is also known as animal gelatin or collagen. Gelatin is a product of collagen denaturation and is a thermally reversible mixture with no fixed structure and a wide range of molecular weights, ranging from several tens of thousands to several hundred thousand.
Production
Production method of carrageenan:
Step 1:
Extracted from red algae such as Chondrus by heating extraction with dilute alkali solution or hot water extraction.
Followed by precipitation with alcohol.
Obtained through drum drying or freeze-drying.
The alcohols used are limited to methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol. When carrageenan is recovered by drum drying method, monoglycerides, diglycerides, or polyoxyethylene (80) sorbitan monooleate in less than 5% concentration are added as drum release agents. The resulting product can be diluted with sugars to meet standards and mixed with salts (usually KCl) to obtain specific gelation or thickening properties.
Step 2: The red algae of the Chondrus family are treated with an alkali and alkali metal salt solution, followed by rinsing, sun exposure, gel boiling (100°C, 40-60 min), filtration, freezing, dehydration, drying, crushing, and sterilization to obtain the final product. Alternatively, the filtered filtrate is poured into isopropanol, where carrageenan precipitates under stirring. Then, it undergoes centrifugal separation, drying, and crushing to obtain the final product.
Production methods of gelatin can be divided into three types:
Alkaline method: Animal bones and skins are thoroughly soaked in lime milk, neutralized with hydrochloric acid, washed with water, and then boiled at 60°C to 70°C. The resulting mixture undergoes preservation, bleaching, gelling, slicing, and drying to obtain the final product. The product is called "Type B gelatin" or "alkaline method gelatin."
Acid method: The raw materials are acidified in a cold sulfuric acid solution with a pH value of 1 to 3 for 2 to 8 hours. After washing, they are soaked in water for 24 hours, boiled at 50°C to 70°C for 4 to 8 hours, followed by gelling, extrusion, and drying. The product is called "Type A gelatin" or "acid method gelatin."
Enzyme method: The raw materials are proteolytic using proteases and then treated with lime for 24 hours. The final product is obtained after neutralization, boiling, concentration, gelling, and drying.
Application
Both gelatin and carrageenan are common thickeners, gelling agents, and stabilizers in the food industry, but they have some differences in applications:
Gelatin's main application areas include:
Cooking and baking: Used in making jellies, puddings, candies, jams, desserts, and sauces.
Food processing: Used in producing meat products, dairy products, frozen foods, jellies, gummy candies, and gelatins.
Pharmaceuticals and medical: Used as a coating agent for capsules and a molding agent for tablets in the pharmaceutical industry, also used in medical capsules, cartilage repair agents, and other medical products.
Imaging and photography: Used in making photographic films, rolls, sheets, and photos.
Carrageenan's main application areas include:
Dairy products: These are used in making cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and milkshakes to improve texture and stability.
Desserts: Used as a gelling agent in jellies, puddings, and desserts.
Condiments and sauces: Used as a stabilizer and thickener in seasonings, salad dressings, spices, and soups.
Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics: Used as a coating agent for capsules, gelling agents, and emulsifiers in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
In summary, gelatin is more commonly used in making jellies and meat products, while carrageenan has extensive applications in dairy products and ice cream.
