April 5, 1949. G. L. BAKER 2,466,146 EDIBLE GELLING COMPOSITION CONTAINING IRISH MOSS EXTRACT, LOCUST BEAN GUMAND AN EDIBLE SALT . Filed April 12, 1947 Gzezze. Z2%rINVENTOR, Patented Apr. 5, 1949 2,466,146 UNITED STATES PATENT of FICE 2,466,146 EDIBLE GELLING COMPOSITION CONTAIN INGRSE MOSS EXTRACT, LOCUST BEAN GUM, AND AN EDIBLE SALT George L. Baker, Newark, Del, assignor to Krim Ko Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Applicationlinois April 12, 1947, serial No. 741,116 4. Claims. (C. 99-13) 2 The present invention pertains to the art of prepare gelling compositions substantially com preparing elastic gels and refers particularly to posed of Irish moss gelose which can be used the preparation of novel gelling compositions in lieu of animal gelatine or fruit or vegetable substantially derived from the sea-plant Irish pectinates. A particular objective of the inven OSS, 5 tion is to prepare an Irish moss gelose product In the accompanying drawing, made from which will produce elastic, , strong, and form photographs, forming a part of this specification retaining gels suitable for food purposes, i. e. and to which reference should be had in con salads and desserts, over a wide range of soluble nection therewith, Figure 1 illustrates two gels Solids content. This invention has led to the made from different compositions, one incor O discovery of a three-element gelling composition porating the present invention and the other a functioning in a superior manner to known com different composition; and in Figure 2 the same positions in the gelling field. This novel com gels are illustrated with like weights resting on position produces Irish moss gels of desired elas their tops, - ticity, strength and form-retention greatly in A potentially useful and hitherto relatively 5 excess of the additive effects predictable from neglected gelling agent is gelose, or carragheenin, the performance of the several component ele the active colloidal substance contained in Irish ments when used alone or in pairs. moss or Chondrus crispus, a member of the In its simplest form the new composition com Gigatinaceae. prises (1) a source of gelose or carragheenin Although widely known for many years it has 20 particles whose surface charges may be neu heretofore been regarded principally as a thicken tralized by suitable cations to permit maximum ing substance or stabilizing agent. Various absorption of water medium; (2), a colloid sub expedients have been Suggested for improving stance of high natural viscosity and neutral the physical properties, particularly the gel reaction whose degree of polymerization and forming capacity of Irish moss extractive. One water absorption are substantially unaffected by Such suggested expedient is to implement the heat; and (3) a Source of neutralizing cations, gelatinizing action through the action of certain For the gelose element it is preferred to take ions, notably potassium, which have been shown the refined aqueous whole extract of the Irish to induce gel formation. moss plant, although it is known that alcohol The added cations are only effective up to the 30 precipitated or selectively-extracted Irish moss point of complete neutralization of the negative fractions, agar-agar, and various other sources of or anionic charge carried by the carragheenin sol active gelose principle may be employed. When particles. At this point carragheenin manifests the normal negative charge on the colloidal par the normal full potential in gelatinizing power. ticles of the Irish moss Sol is sufficiently neu Anything less than this is subnormal perform 35 tralized by the appropriate cations, imbibition ance. Anything more than this would be thought of the dispersing medium is rapid, predisposing to increase the gelling power, but this is not the system to gel formation. the case. Potassium and similar cations, there For the neutral high polymer or colloidal fore, merely bring about the degree of gelatiniza addition-agent locust bean gum has been found tion of which the colloid is already inherently 40 to be eminently satisfactory, but the invention is capable; they do not increase the gelling power. not limited to this substance inasmuch as a num Apart from this technical distinction, there is ber of other neutral high polymers will also meet the further very practical observation that even the above-stated qualifications in various degrees. the best cation-induced Irish moss gels lack Starch and carboxymethylcellulose compounds elasticity comparable to pectin gels. The yield 45 are in this category and while not nearly as ing, non-cohesive, and essentially brittle char valuable as locust bean gum in developing acter of the Irish moSS gel is not altered in any elasticity and form-retention, the two most de important particular by the gel-inducing ions. sired physical characteristics, they do exhibit a Elastic, strong, form-retaining gels such as those capacity to aid in expanding the normal gelling needed by the manufacturing confectioner for 50 strength of the gelose. The relative value of the slab Or cutting operations have not been obtain naturally high polymers in increasing gel strength able in the past with Irish moss, of moss gelose is shown by the following com An outstanding object of this invention is to parative figures upon sugar gels containing. 4.0% 2,466,146 3 4. soluble solids which were made by similar pro 1% potassium chloride decreases the viscosity to cedure at pH 3.5: 3400 centipoises. If the temperature is reduced to 4.4° C. in the case of this last system the Control, 0.6% Irish moss gelose extract plus 0.2%: viscosity is increased to 5500 centipoises, but no KCl ---------------------------------- 10 s gelation occurs. High polymers added to control gel: It may be shown similarly that Irish moss ex 0.4% locust bean gum ---------------- 83, tracts alone form only colloidal dispersions at 0.4% high viscosity sodium 26 C., in a concentration of 0.6 to 1% gelose, carboxymethyl-cellulose ------- ------ 25 due to the lack of sufficient favorable cations for 1.0% corn starch ---------------------- 24 gelation. Wiscosity of a 0.6% dispersion of com 0.4% gum karaya -------------------- 19 mercial extract will be about 90 centipoises at pH 0.4% gum tragacanth ----------------- 14 6.5 at 26° C. Viscosity will increase to 920 centi 0.4% potassium carboxymethylcellulose - 12 poises as the temperature is lowered to 44° C. 0.4% low viscosity sodium carboxyl Upon standing at this latter temperature of pH methylcellulose --------------------- 12 6.5 for a sufficient period of time gel tendencies 0.4% gum arabic ---------------------- 12 will be exhibited and a weak gel may form. A 0.4% guar flour ---------------------- 11 1% dispersion of gelose will have a viscosity of While members of the above group aid in 250 centipoises at pH 6.5 at 26° C. and will form increasing the strength of gelose gels, none, other a weak gel at 4.4° C. Increased acidity will de than locust bean gum, imparts the desired de 20 crease the viscosity of this latter dispersion so gree of elasticity and form-retention. ... that it has a viscosity of only 58 centipoises at pH For the source of the gel-inducing ion potas 3.5 at 26° C. and no gel will form at 4.4° C. sium chloride, which is commercially available in However, it is known that certain cations, not pure form and quite cheap, may be used. Where ably potassium, induce gelation. A 0.6% dis greater resistance to acidic conditions is required 5 persion of Irish moss extract containing 0.2% the potassium ion may be employed in combina KCl will form a 40% soluble solids sugar gel with tion with the anion component of a relatively a strength of 12.5 g. per cm. at pH 3.5 at 26° C. weak Organic acid, exemplary of which are using a plunger 2.1 cm. in diameter for breaking acetic, citric, lactic, malic, and tartaric acids. the gel surface and a 6-ounce tumbler as con These provide a relatively strong buffer reaction tainer. Further increments of potassium chlo and help to reduce the aggressive hydrolytic ride up to 1.2% KCl will increase the strength of action manifested by acids on the gelose factor, the 40% soluble solids gels to a maximum at pH especially in the presence of Substantial heat, 5.6. More than 1.2% potassium chloride will but tend to reduce gel strength. Potassium cause a decrease in gel strength. The gelose gel citrate gels were found to have about two-thirds 3 5 obtained by the addition of potassium chloride the strength of potassium chloride gels of equiva is non-elastic, brittle, and easily shattered by the lent potassium content at similar pH values. application of excess pressure. While potassium salts are preferred, salts of cal The two-element system composed of 0.4% cium, magnesium, and a number of other cations locust bean gum and 0.6% Irish moss gelose ex will function with varying degrees of effective U tract in water solution will not gel. It forms eSS, only a viscous solution at pH 5.65, having a vis By bringing the aforementioned three ele cosity of 400 centipoises at 26° C. When acid is ments, gelose-high polymer-cation together in a added the viscosity is lowered. A system contain common gel System a number of surprising ing 39% cane sugar in addition to the combina effects is obtained, the most remarkable of which tion of 0.4% locust bean gum and 0.6% Irish is the substantial increase in the elasticity of noSS gelose extract in the absence of sufficient the gelose gels. Gel-strength and form-retention favorable cation will not produce a gel satisfac are also greatly improved.