Guar gum
Guar gum, also called guaran is produced from a bean called the cluster bean or guar bean, grown primarily in Pakistan and India. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is usually packaged as a loose, light-colored powder with a coarse to fine texture.
Guar gum is popular because it works as a natural gelling agent in bakery products, dressing and sauces, dairy products etc. It is used in much the same way as xanthan gum and both agents can normally substitute for the other.
Application:
- In beverages: Controls viscosity, improves body and mouth feel and also shelf life. It is added to fruit juices, cocoa based drinks to enhance their texture and improve the ‘mouth feel’. Guar gum plays a major role in improving the viscosity of fruit juices.
- In Dairy products guar gum powder is utilized in texture, maintain gumminess & color such as for product category like ice-creams, soft cheese, cheese spreads, processed cheese, preserved flavored milk, puddings and much more.
- In Bakery is used for moisture prevention and due to its quality of giving texture, volume, structure, and thickness. It also increases dough yield, shelf life.
With the bakery guar gum also acts as beautiful pastry icings for decorative purpose.
- in frozen food: is also well-known to reduce crystal formation as binder & stabilizer. -In Ice Cream/Dairy Products: Provides smooth and creamier texture, prevents formation of ice crystals and quick meltdown.
- In Dressings and Sauces: For Thickening, emulsion stabilizer and improving flow properties