
Sodium alginate is called the algin,it is natural high polymer polysaccharide which extracted from the brown alga plant and it's one kind of fibers which could dissolve in water ,It can lowers the blood pressure and decrease blood glucose, adjust the blood fats and enhance the immunity; besides,Algin could increase the sense of fullness to loses weight, it also can hindrance radioactive element absorption to promote the row of lead and so on. At present,sodium alginate has been widely applied in various foods, in national Europe and America, Japan and South Korea had near hundred year histories about the using of alginate. The Japanese called the alginate “longevity food” and the American called “the marvelous food additive”.
In the food industry, alginate is mainly used as a gelling agent and thickener. In the application of alginate, the application of g elation is wide. Alginate solution can react rapidly with metal ions (usually cal cium) and crosslinking after the ion exchange ,it generated with thermal irreversible gel, and put a lot of water locks in moisture gel structure. Generally, the crosslinking caused by ion bridge that t wo carboxyl groups and calciu m ions formed or the chelation through hydroxyl and carboxyl groups with calcium formed, so the alginate gelling ability is related to the ratio of M/G.
Figure 2-1 Sodium alginate reacted with the calcium ion form the structure of “the egg box” (gelatin schematic drawing)
As the basic and the most i mportant properties of a lginate , Ge lling properties can be used not only a wide range of gel, such as soft and hard gel gel (jelly), semi solidified gel (medical ointment, jam etc.), but also the fat substitutes because of the properties of thermally irreversible.

Thickening is a common characteristic of alginate,it can improve the viscosity of products. In alginate solution, due to the larger molecular weight of alginate, the molecular chain is longer, the polymer chain formed irregular coil and it is easy for each other to tangle with , so the viscosity increased r api dly due to the flow resistance increased, its relative molecular mass is larger, the thickening effect is better. the viscosity of o rdinary type high viscosity alginate is 500-800mpa.s, and MZ10 series that our company independent research and development production can be thickened 2000-10000mpa·s, at the same time ,it can meet some special requirements of the product application because of the high degree of transparency, .

Alginate has good film-forming properties, the film formed after the water of alginate solution evaporated and oil and the fat can not permeat from it,but the water vapor can permeat the film, so the alginate could be used in mask, artificial casings and other products. Alginate solution has good fluidity, which is not only widely used in the industrial field but also used in food because the liquidity of alginate is better than guar gum and xanthan gum.
China's Department of Health approved alginate has the function of lead removing material with No. "97-65" i n 1997 , alginate can be used in the all kinds of health care products GB2760 also provides sodium alginate can be used in various types of food production needs.
Food classification number | Name | Maximum usage | Note |
01.02.01 | Yogurt | According to needs | |
01.05.01 | Cream | According to needs | |
02.02.01.01 | Butter | According to needs | |
06.03.02.01 | Wet flour products | According to needs | |
06.03.02.02 | Dry flour products | According to needs | |
11.01.02 | syrup | 10.0 | |
12.09 | spice | According to needs | |
14.02.01 | vegetable juice | According to needs | |
Flour |
Baozi | Cake | Bread | buns | Noddles | Fresh-noodle | Frozen flour products |
Aquatic product |
Fish Tofu | Preservation of fishery | Water protection |
Meat |
Meatballs | sausages | High temperature sausage | Meat product bonding |
Drinks |
Ice cream | Cream | Yogurt | Vegetable | Brown beverage | Protein drink | Popping boba | Jam | Jelly |
Bionic food |
Shark's fin | Agaric | Grape bead |