The invention concerns a gum carob with average mole weight (Mw) ranging between 2.5.105 and 1.5.106 g/mol and whereof at least 60 wt. % of said gum is soluble in an aqueous medium at a temperature not higher than 60° C.
1. A method of preparing a carob bean gum comprising the steps of:
(i) hydrating the endosperm of the carob bean gum;
(ii) simultaneously drying and grinding the hydrated endosperm obtained in step (i); and, then,
(iii) reducing the weight-average molecular mass of the carob by depolymerising the latter,
wherein the carob bean gum obtained has a weight-average molecular mass of between 2.5×10 5 and 1.5×10 6 g/mol, at least 60% of said gum being soluble in an aqueous medium at less than 60° C.
2. A gelling composition comprising carob bean gum obtained according to claim 1 with at least one hydrocolloid.
3. The gelling composition as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the mass ratio is between 40/60 and 60/40.
4. The gelling composition as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the mass ratio of the carob bean gum to the hydrocolloid is 50/50.
5. The gelling composition as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the hydrocolloid is xanthan gum, carragheenans, agar, Danish agar, or gellan gum.
6. The gelling composition as claimed claim 2 , having a mass ratio of carob bean gum to the hydrocolloid of between 5/95 and 95/5.
7. An oil, agrochemical, food paper, textile, paint, domestic or industrial cleaning agent, comprising a gelling composition as defined in claim 2 .
8. Jellies, custards, cup custards, aspic, cold jellied poultry, bavaroises, yogurts, ice creams, sorbets, crèmes brûlées, comprising a gelling composition as defined in claim 2 .
9. A method of gelling an aqueous phase, comprising the steps of:
a) forming a pseudo-gel by the addition of a gelling composition to said phase, said composition comprising a carob bean gum obtained according to claim 1 , having a weight-average molecular mass of between 2.5×10 5 and 1.5×10 6 g/mol, at least 60% by weight of said gum being soluble in an aqueous medium at a temperature equal to or less than 60° C. and a hydrocolloid.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein step a) is carried out at a temperature varying from 20° C. to 25° C.
11. The method as claims in claim 1 , wherein in step (i), the hydration of the carob bean gum endosperm is carried out for a time long enough to achieve a degree of hydration of between 50 and 90%.
12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein after step (ii), the carob is in the form of a powder with a water content of between 6 and 12%.
13. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the drying/grinding operation is carried out at a temperature of between 30° C. and 90° C.
14. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the depolymerization of step (iii) is carried out by oxidation.
15. A thickener, stabilizer, gelling agent or emulsifier, comprising a carob bean gum obtained according to claim 1 .
16. A method of preparing a carob bean gum comprising the successive steps of:
(i) hydrating the endosperm of the carob bean gum;
(ii) simultaneously drying and grinding the hydrated endosperm obtained in step (i); and, then
(iii) depolymerizing the product obtained in step (ii) to a weight-average molecular mass of between 2.5×10 5 and 1.5×10 6 g/mol,
thereby at least 60% of said gum is soluble in an aqueous medium at less than 60° C.