Abstract
The desired textural and rheological features of foodstuffs can be achieved through the addition of hydrocolloids, which increases viscosity and stability of food products. The investigation of rheological properties and dispersion stability of combinations of commonly used gums in the food industry for the development of a stable supercooled beverage was performed. Different formulations were tested, combining arabic gum (AG), xanthan gum (XG) and locust bean gum (LBG) at different gums concentrations and proportion of each ingredient. Results showed that all formulations were adequately described by power-law model. Moreover, the flow characteristics of the gums mixtures varied between shear-thinning and shear-thickening behavior. The apparent viscosity and the flow index were greatly affected by the total concentration of gums. Furthermore, XG was identified as an important ingredient for the formulation of non-alcoholic supercooled beverages concerning their stability. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) were effective in optimizing the formulation parameters (apparent viscosity and zeta potential). A desirable higher viscosity and stable dispersion (lower zeta potential) under the temperature range 20 °C and −10 °C was achieved at a combined level of 0.08% w/w, 42.5% AG, 43.03% of XG and 14.47% of LBG.