Getting Creative With Hydrocolloids

TED A. RUSSIN

July 1, 2010

One of the main challenges facing creative professionals in the field of food product development is the need to develop novel and differentiated products in a highly competitive marketplace. This is true both for the chef toiling in the kitchen and the product development scientist working at the laboratory bench. In both cases, commonly available ingredients are being transformed into value-added finished dishes, which command a premium in the market. In the culinary world, the supply truck de… Gellan gum ‘fluid gels’ allow for suspension with water-thin viscosity—a functional property applied in novel sauces, soups, vinaigrettes, and beverages. Copyright © 2009, Los Angeles Times

Figure 1. A selection of culinary (a) and technical (b) approaches (ingredients and processes) to texture modification in sauces.

Figure 2. The linear approach to food ideation (2a) highlighting the traditional interplay between culinary arts and food science in food product development. The multiple-input approach to food ideation (2b) highlighting the cross-pollination between culinary arts and food science in food product development.