Abstract for Pectin Production

Ensymm abstract for Pectin production from fruit

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WHAT IS PECTIN?

INVERT SUGAR ABSTRACTThe food and drink industry depends heavily on enzymes. Enzymes produced by yeast have been used for thousands of years in brewing and baking. Invert sugar (IS) contains fructose and glucose in roughly equal proportions. The Invert sugar is greater in demand than pure glucose as food and drink sweeteners, because fructose is sweeter than glucose.Main consumers of Invert Sugar are the baking, beverages, canning, confectionery and dairy industries. In addition, high fructose syrup is used in

Pectin for use in food is defined as apolymer containing galacturonicacid units (at least 65%). The acidgroups may either be free,combined as a methyl ester, or existas sodium, potassium, calcium orammonium salts, and in somepectin amide groups may also bepresent. Pectin in the plant startingmaterial is part of a very complexstructure, which gives shape to thesoft non-woody parts of the plant.

Plant cell wall structure diagramPectin in this state contains a rangeof neutral sugar molecules, in acomplex non-random structure,containing blocks ofhomogalacturonic acid (sometimescalled "smooth regions"), andblocks containing many neutralsugar molecules (rhamnose,

galactose, arabinose and lesseramounts of other sugars) in a highlybranched structure (sometimesreferred to as "hairy regions").

Galacturonic Acid Unit When pectin is extracted, much ofthe hairy regions are destroyed,leaving mainly the smoothgalacturonic acid regions, with afew neutral sugar units attached toor in the main linear chain. Thenature and placing of these neutralsugars may vary with the sourcematerial, and have some influenceon the properties of pectin fromdifferent origins. However, thebiggest influence on pectinproperties is the degree ofesterification (DE), whichdetermines, for example, thedegree of reactivity with calciumand other cations.

DISCOVERY & HISTORY Jams and Jellies have beenproduced for many years, at leastsince the 18th Century. Recipeswere published in the "LondonHousewife's Family Companion" of1750 which described jellies madefrom apple, currant, and quince, allfruits rich in gelling pectin. Pectinwas first isolated in the 1820s, andshown to be the key to making jamsand jellies.

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DISCOVERY AND HISTORY

Gradually, people mixed pectin richfruits or fruit extracts with fruitswhich do not set jams well –strawberry with gooseberry or withred currant, for example. Extracts ofapple peels and cores were alsoused for "difficult to set" jams.

Commercial jam producers soughtfurther supplies of pectin sourcematerials. In Germany, apple juiceproducers started to dry thepomace residue left after pressingjuice for sale to jam makers, whowould cook the pomace in waterwith or without fruit juice to make a

jellying juice. The first commercialproduction of a liquid pectin extractwas recorded in Germany in 1908,and the process spread rapidly tothe United States, where a classicpatent was obtained by Douglas (USPat. 1.082,682, 1913). This wasfollowed by a rapid growth of thepectin industry in the United States,and also somewhat later in Europe.In recent years, the center ofproduction has moved to Europeand to citrus-producing countrieslike Mexico and Brazil. Furtherchanges of structure and location ofthe industry continue, but areconstrained by the need for largecapital investment to set up a plantof economic size, and the need for alarge-scale source or sources of rawmaterial.

TYPES OF PECTIN ▪ Pectin as extracted normally

has more than 50% of the acidunits esterified, and is classifiedas "high methyl ester (HM)pectin" or HM PECTIN. Thepercentage of ester groups iscalled degree of esterification.High methyl ester pectin areclassified in groups according totheir gelling temperature asrapid set to slow set pectin (seeapplication of pectin).

▪ Modification of the extractionprocess, or continued acidtreatment, will yield a "lowmethyl ester (LM) pectin" or LMPECTIN with less than 50%methyl ester groups.

▪ Some pectin are treated duringmanufacture with ammonia toproduce amidated pectin, whichhave particular advantages insome applications. They arecalled AMIDATEDPECTIN

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TYPES OF PECTIN

Within each of these main typesthere are many detailed variationsprepared for different uses.

HM Pectin Formula LM Pectin Formula Amidated Pectin Formula

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TYPES OF PECTIN

The structure of pectin molecules is the key to the properties of pectin, and their use in different applications.

▪ Pectin molecules are long, and easily entangle with each other, causing thickening.

➢ Pectin can improve the texture of low sugar drinks.

▪ If enough sugar is added to reduce the availability ofwater to dissolve pectin molecules fully, themolecules stick together in smooth regions with estergroups to form a gel network.

➢ Conventional high sugar jams depend on pectin to set, and also require minimum sugar content.

▪ Because the acid groups are relatively weak, changesin the acidity (lower pH) alter the amount of chargeon the pectin chains. Pectin which can link togetherunder acid conditions have enough charge at loweracidity (higher pH) to repel each other.

➢ This explains why it needs both sugar and acid to set a jam or jelly.

▪ The acid groups in pectin can react with calcium ionswhich have two positive charges, and can link twoacid anion groups with negative charges. If enoughnegative groups occur together, as in low ester pectin,these can link pectin molecules together in a gelnetwork without needing so much sugar.

➢ Low ester pectin are used to make low sugar jams, andmany different fruit preparations for use in the foodindustry.

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TYPES OF PECTIN

▪ Pectin molecules with a negative charge can bind toproteins carrying a positive charge and prevent themcoagulating when heated.

➢ Pectin can stop the milk protein in yoghurt fromcurdling with heat, so heat treated (UHT) long lifeyoghurt drinks can be made.

Commercial ProductionProcess details vary betweendifferent companies, but thegeneral process is as follows:

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APPLICATION OF PECTIN

Pectin is one of the most versatilestabilizers available. Its gelling,thickening and stabilizing attributesmakes it an essential additive in theproduction of many food products.Traditionally, pectin was primarilyused in the production of jams andfruit jellies - industrially as well asdomestically and in low as well ashigh sugar products. It secures thedesired texture, limits the creationof water/juice on top of the surfaceas well as an even distribution offruit in the product. With thechange in lifestyle pectin isprimarily sold for industrial use. Insome European markets it is stillsold to the consumers as anintegrated component in gellingsugar, though. Product andapplication development by the

major pectin producers has over theyears resulted in a large expansion ofthe opportunities and applicability ofpectin. Pectin is a key stabilizer inmany food products:

▪ Fruit applicationso Jams, jellies, and desserts

▪ Bakery fillings and toppingso Fruit preparations for dairy

applications▪ Dairy applications

o Acidified milk and protein drinks

o Yoghurts (thickening) ▪ Confectionery

o Fruit jellies o Neutral jellies

▪ Beverages ▪ Nutritional and Health Products▪ Pharmaceutical and Medical

Applications

Over the years the positive publicconnotation of pectin has provenhelpful in its widespread use, and thismay be a contributing factor to thegrowing interest in investigatingpectin for possible direct healthbenefits and thus applications inregulated non-food segment as wellas in functional foods andnutraceuticals. Pectin also findsmedical and pharmaceuticalapplications. This wide range ofapplications explains the need formany different types of commercialpectin, which are sold according totheir application, for example:▪ Rapid Set pectin - traditionally

used for jams and marmalades

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APPLICATION OF PECTIN

▪ Slow Set Pectin - used for jelliesand for some jams andpreserves, especially usingvacuum cooking at lowertemperatures. Also importantfor higher sugar products likebakery and biscuit jams, sugarconfectionery, etc.

▪ Stabilising Pectin - used forstabilising acidic proteinproducts such as yoghurts,whey and soya drinks againstheat processing.

▪ Low methyl ester and amidatedpectin - used in a wide range oflower sugar products, reducedsugar preserves, fruitpreparations for yoghurts,dessert gels and toppings, andsavory applications such assauces and marinades.

They can also be used in low acidhigh sugar products such aspreserves containing low acid fruits(figs, bananas) and confectionery.

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