Effects of hydrocolloids on the rheological and microstructural properties of semisolid whey protein-rich systems

Effects of xanthan gum (XG), kappa-carrageenan (KC) and gum Arabic (GA) on rheological properties and microstructural properties of semisolid whey protein-rich systems were studied. Results of oscillation frequency sweeps and temperature ramp experiments indicated that whey protein-rich systems containing XG and KC formed a viscoelastic structure that had different rheological properties compared to GA. XG or KC intensified the rheological properties of whey protein-rich systems, while forming an additional network separate from the whey protein isolate (WPI). The double-labelled (WPI and hydrocolloids) micrographs showed that a continuous network structure formed with 1% added XG or KC while the system maintained a relative homogeneous structure with GA. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) also confirmed that an ordered structure was formed when the XG or KC reached 1%. Furthermore, these ordered structures were not completely destroy with heat.