Q&A: Ingredients in Dairy Products

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Ingredients in Dairy Products

Following is a list of stabilizers, emulsifiers, etc.

Emulsifiers make it possible to uniformly disperse tiny particles of globules of one liquid into another.

Stabilizers/Thickeners aid in maintaining smooth texture and uniform color and flavor in some foods.

Nutrient Supplements mainly vitamins and minerals, are added to improve the nutritive value of foods.

Colorings are used to enhance the appearance of foods.

Artificial Sweeteners are used in place of sugar for sweetening.

Sodium & Potassium Phosphates
- NaPO3, water-binding agent
- KPO3, water binding agent
Polysorbate 80 – An emulsifier from natural vegetable fats and oils. Used in ice creams and frozen desserts for overrun and dryness.
Frequently used with mono-diglycerides.
Mon-and Diglycerides – Emulsifiers from natural vegetable fats and oils. For controlling the fat and moisture balance in mix. Prevents shrinkage.

Calcium Sulfate – Pure anhydrous calcium crystals derived from gypsum. Used in soft serve ice cream to produce dryness and stiffness.
Tragacanth – A gum produced from the astragalus bush. It swells in water to give a highly viscous paste. It is used in sauces, fruit fillings and citrus beverages.
Carob Bean Gum – Polysaccharide*, extracted from the bean of the carob tree.
Modified Starch – Natural starch generally used for thickening of the fruit in the ice cream. Corn or tapioca base.
Guar Gum – Vegetable gum of the guar plant. For controlling free moisture in the ice cream mix. Gives smooth texture to frozen product.
Carrageenan – Derived from seaweed for control of free moisture in ice cream mix.
Propylene Glycol Alginate – Derived from seaweed for control of free moisture. Improves texture and body of frozen product.
Locust Bean Gum – Derived from the seed of the locust or carob plant. Gives smooth texture to frozen product.
Xanthan Gum – Produced by the fermentation of glucose by specific bacteria. Contributes to viscosity.

Vitamin D3 – Also known as cholecaciferol. Come from animal sources. Darigold source is lanolin. Vitamin D2, not used to fortify dairy products, comes from a vegetable source.
Vitamin A – Usually added as Vitamin A palmitic acid (a saturated fatty acid). The small amount of saturated fatty acid used does not affect the diet.
Vitamin C – Ascorbic acid.
Vitamin E – Di-alpha tocopherol, a naturally occurring compound made by plants.
Beta-carotene – Derived from fruits and vegetables.

Annatto – A color source of yellowish to reddish-orange color obtained form the seed coating of the tree Bixa Orellana. Used in butter, ice cream and cheese.
Titanium Dioxide – A food grade pigment added to the sour cream dressing in light cottage to enhance color and opacity.

Dextrose – A natural corn sweetener that is commercially made from starch. Used in ice cream. Also termed glucose and corn sugar.
Aspartame – An artificial sweetener consisting of two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. Has same number of calories as table sugar, but is 180 times sweeter. A teaspoon’s worth of sweetness costs only 1/10th of a calorie. Not recommended for people born with the metabolic defect called phenylketonuria, a disorder in which there is a lack of the enzyme needed to handle extra amounts of phenylalanine.