Sodium Alginate Ice Cream

Also known as alginic acid salt or seaweed gum, is a type of natural polysaccharide substance extracted from brown algae. Industrially, it is refined through processes such as alkaline extraction, purification, and drying of the seaweed raw materials. Depending on different neutralizing ions, it can form different salts, the most common being sodium alginate, calcium alginate, potassium alginate, and the derivative propylene glycol alginate (PGA). The product is usually a powder ranging from white to light yellow-brown, odorless and tasteless.

Food Industry 

Primary functions: gelling agent, thickener, stabilizer, film-forming agent, dietary fiber fortifier

Gel foods: puddings, and biomimetic foods (plant-based meat and imitation seafood) to form thermo-irreversible gels

Meat products: sausages, and meatballs to improve water retention, elasticity, and slicing performance

Dairy products:yogurt and ice cream to prevent whey separation and improve texture and stability

Beverages:fruit juices and plant-protein beverages to prevent phase separation and sedimentation and to improve mouthfeel.

Baked goods:bread and cakes to improve texture and extend shelf life

Fruit and vegetable preservation:Used as an edible coating to extend the shelf life of fresh produce

Pharmaceutical and Health Products

Pharmaceutical excipient:Used as a binder and disintegrant in tablets, a capsule filler, and a suspending agent in suspensions

Controlled-release formulations:Acts as a drug carrier to regulate drug release and enhance bioavailability

Medical dressings:Applied in wound dressings to maintain a moist environment, promote healing, and reduce scar formation

Dietary fiber supplements:Promote intestinal motility and relieve constipation

Personal Care and Cosmetics

Skin care products:Creams, lotions, and facial masks as a thickener, stabilizer, and moisturizer to improve skin feel

Shampoo / conditioner:Improve combability, smoothness, and formulation stability

Toothpaste:Provide appropriate consistency and gloss

Color cosmetics:Used as a thickener and stabilizer in products such as foundation and mascara

Industrial Applications

Oil industry:Used as a drilling-fluid additive to enhance proppant-carrying capacity and stabilize wellbores

Paper industry:Used as a paper strength enhancer to improve paper strength and printability

Textile industry:Used as a printing paste to improve print clarity

Water treatment:Applied as a flocculant in wastewater treatment