In the world of dressings and sauces, achieving the perfect texture and stability is crucial. One ingredient making a significant impact is alginate, a hydrocolloid derived from brown algae. In this edition of our Ingredient Spotlight series, we explore how alginate is revolutionizing formulations in the food industry — and how Admix’s line of high shear mixers, homogenizers, and hygienic mixers optimize its performance.
Alginate refers to the salts of alginic acid, a long-chain carbohydrate biopolymer. It is typically extracted from brown seaweed and purified into a white powder. While alginic acid itself is insoluble, its salts — such as sodium alginate, potassium alginate, and propylene glycol alginate — act as powerful hydrocolloids. Their ability to bind and absorb water makes them ideal for thickening, stabilizing, and emulsifying applications.
Thickening and stabilizing emulsions like vinaigrettes and creamy dressings.
Preventing separation and improving mouthfeel in low-fat formulations.
Enhancing viscosity when combined with gums such as pectin.
Forming heat-stable gels, ideal for pasteurized or cooked sauces.
Alginate’s acid stability and heat resistance make it an exceptional ingredient in complex processing environments.
Dispersing alginate requires careful attention. At concentrations above 2%, alginate tends to clump or form fisheyes if not properly mixed. Water temperature also plays a role; hard or cold water can complicate hydration.
At Admix, we recommend high shear mixing solutions like:
Rotosolver®: Perfect for in-tank vigorous mixing of alginate into liquids without forming clumps. Its high flow combined with high shear mixing ensures rapid and complete dispersion.
Rotostat™: An ideal sanitary high speed disperser for smaller batch processing, ensuring quick and uniform hydration.
Fastfeed® and Dynashear®: For inline powder induction and dispersion, these systems efficiently wet out alginate powders and eliminate manual mixing steps.
Choosing the right industrial mixer, inline mixer, or wet mill ensures optimal texture and performance when working with alginate in food applications.
Whether you're mixing powders into liquids, processing hygienic mixers for dressings, or dispersing challenging gums like alginate, Admix offers the most robust lineup of high shear mixers, dispersers, homogenizer mixers, and shear pumps for food-grade applications.
Unlock better product stability, texture, and consistency — with less mixing time and more peace of mind.
Contact us today to learn how our hygienic mixers, inline milling systems, and 3A certified mixers can optimize your next batch!