SENSORY AND RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF KAPPA-CARRAGEENAN GELS MIXED WITH LOCUST BEAN GUM, TARA GUM OR GUAR GUM

Mixed gels of kappa-carrageenan (C) and a galactomannan gum, viz., locust bean (L), tara (T), and guar (G) in ratios of 7:3 and 1:1 (total concentration 1%), were examined for their rheological properties and by a sensory evaluation. Texture, creep and rupture were measured, and the semantic differential method (SD) was employed. kappa-Carrageenan alone could not form a gel at the concentration of 0.5%, while C-L and C-T but not C-G mixtures in the ratio of 1:1 formed gels. The mixed gels of C-L were hard, very elastic and not perceived as smooth by the sensory evaluation. The values for the gels comprising T were intermediate between the C-L and C-G gels in instrumental measurements and sensory characteristics, indicating that the C-T mixture performed. well as an edible gel. This difference is attributed to the synergistic effect between kappa-carrageenan and the gums.