Calcium impact on xanthan gel and frozen coconut quality

Abstract

The objective of this investigation was to understand the impacts of xanthan matrices with various strength degrees of gels with/without calcium ions on the quality preservation of frozen coconut pulp. Xanthan without Ca2+ protected textural firmness, drip loss, and browning of the freeze-thaw coconut pulp. However, once the Ca2+ was present, the Ca2+-xanthan matrices improved the firmness but increased the drip loss and browning development. These phenomena were likely related to the gel strength of the xanthan and Ca2+-xanthan matrices. These findings suggested that the addition of ions has a strong impact on the structural arrangement, gel-like degree and cryoprotectability of hydrocolloids.