An overview of classifications, properties of food polysaccharides and their links to applications in improving food textures

Background: Food polysaccharides are referred to the polysaccharides that have been approved for industrial usage in formulating food products, where they are generally utilized to boost the textural attributes of the foods. In this regard, the applications of food polysaccharides are dependent on their physicochemical properties, such as hydration, gelation, emulsification, thickening properties and so forth. Scope and approach: The review starts by discussing the classification and properties of food polysaccharides, and subsequently outlines their links to applications in improving the textural attributes of a wide range of food products, including emulsion-based foods, low calorie foods, restructured foods, gelatin free foods, breaded or battered foods, and frozen foods as well as wheaten foods. Key findings and conclusions: Food polysaccharides can be categorized into different groups according to various standards. Both the intrinsic molecular characteristics and the extrinsic environmental factors significantly affect the physicochemical properties of polysaccharides, thereby affecting their functionality and usages in different types of foods. For example, surface-active polysaccharides exhibit good potential to be applied to formulating emulsion-based foods, and highly hydrophilic and gelling polysaccharides are preferred in frozen foods. Overall, rationally selecting polysaccharides requires a fundamental understanding on their properties when designing or improving food textures. Furthermore, a full understanding of the structure-property relationship of food polysaccharides and establishing valid methods for more accurately characterizing the textural attributes of foods within the mouth are still in need.