The application of sodium gluconate in the food industry

The molecular formula of sodium gluconate is C6H11NAO7, with a molecular weight of 218.14. In the food industry, sodium gluconate, as a food additive, can make food sour, enhance its taste, prevent protein denaturation, improve unpleasant bitterness and astringency, and replace salt to obtain low sodium and sodium free food. At present, research on sodium gluconate mainly focuses on the maturity of production processes and the reduction of production costs.

The application of sodium gluconate in the food industry

At present, sodium gluconate has been widely used as a good food additive in the food processing industry. Meanwhile, according to their quality, they can be divided into several types of food preservatives and additives.

1. Sodium gluconate regulates the acidity of food

Adding acid to food can improve its safety, as acid is the main form of preventing microbial contamination in refrigerated food. The use of acid combined with high temperature or high static pressure treatment can reduce energy consumption and lower costs. However, adding acid to food or beverage formulas often reduces palatability, as the high acidity of acid limits the food industry's ability to better utilize acid as a preservative. Prepare sodium gluconate into a sodium salt mixture (mixed with sodium chloride and sodium acetate respectively), which is used for citric acid, lactic acid, and malic acid. The acidity of lactic acid (pH=4.4) has a moderate inhibitory effect, but has little effect on the acidity of lactic acid. Sodium gluconate can regulate the pH values of citric acid and malic acid, effectively reducing sourness without producing salty taste, indicating that sodium gluconate can significantly inhibit the acidity of citric acid and malic acid at higher acid levels. In the food industry, sodium gluconate is widely used in the beverage industry to ensure the quality of beverages, protect beverage ingredients from damage caused by excessive temperature due to conventional sterilization methods, and save energy.

2. Sodium gluconate can improve food quality

With the continuous improvement of living standards, people's demands for food are also increasing. Sodium gluconate, as a new type of food additive, not only improves the flavor of food, but also enhances its nutritional properties. Compared with many food additives on the market, its non-toxic and harmless performance has become its biggest highlight. Sodium gluconate is used as a calcium lactate crystal inhibitor in Cheddar cheese. The results indicate that sodium gluconate can increase the solubility of calcium lactate and regulate the pH value of Cheddar cheese. Therefore, sodium gluconate may increase the solubility of calcium and lactate. By forming soluble complexes with calcium and lactate ion carriers, the formation of lactate calcium crystals is prevented, which not only ensures its nutrition, but also adjusts the pH value of Cheddar cheese and improves its quality. After soaking kelp in sodium gluconate, the sodium alginate content of kelp can be increased, making the surface of kelp softer and the taste better. Sodium gluconate also has the effects of protein denaturation and myofibrillar protein dissolution. When sodium gluconate is added to surimi, the strength of heated gel is significantly higher than that of gel without sodium gluconate, so sodium gluconate can improve the quality of surimi products.

3. Sodium gluconate improves food flavor

In the food industry, food flavor is an important indicator for sensory evaluation. In recent years, it has been found that sodium gluconate can improve bitterness, while sodium gluconate can inhibit the bitterness of bitter compounds and their binary combinations. The results indicate that caffeine can inhibit the taste of sodium lactate and glucose. In addition, it has been reported that adding a certain amount of sodium gluconate in meat processing can better improve the beany taste of soy products. A study has found that. During seafood processing, a certain amount of sodium gluconate is usually added to reduce fishy odor and improve appetite. Compared to traditional coverage methods, the cost is lower.

4. Application of Sodium Gluconate as a Substitute for Salt in the Food Industry

Relevant studies show that China's per capita salt intake is several times that of the world. High levels of sodium ions in the body can lead to the occurrence of chronic diseases such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia. While paying attention to living standards and disease health, low salt foods have also attracted widespread attention and become a hot topic in the food industry. The results showed that the sodium content in table salt is four times that of sodium gluconate, while the molecular weight of sodium gluconate is only 10.5%. Compared with commonly used low sodium salts, sodium gluconate has no difference in taste, but it has the advantages of no irritation, no bitterness, and astringency, and has become a substitute for table salt in practical applications. At present, it is mainly used in the food industry, such as salt free products, bread, etc. According to reports, using sodium gluconate instead of salt in bread fermentation can not only ferment low sodium bread, but also reduce the low salt content without affecting the overall flavor and shelf life of the bread.