Effect of xanthan gum on the texture of protein bars

Xanthan gum has good hydrophilicity and stability. Adding it to protein bars can form a weak gel structure inside the bars and maintain good water holding capacity, thus reducing the hardness of protein bar samples and improving the taste.

The addition of xanthan gum could reduce the hardness of the protein bars, and the protein bars with 0.3% xanthan gum had moderate hardness; the addition of xanthan gum could improve the cohesiveness of the protein bars, and the protein bars with 0.3% xanthan gum maintained the most complete appearance and were the least likely to form crumbs; the protein bars with 0.4% xanthan gum were slightly sticky, while the protein bars with 0.2% xanthan gum and 0.3% xanthan gum had The protein bars in the 0.2% and 0.3% xanthan gum groups had a good taste and the stickiness was reduced appropriately.

Xanthan gum has a certain increase in the elasticity of protein bars. The addition of xanthan gum can improve the structure of protein bars, which may be due to the full extension of the molecular weight of xanthan gum, and protein bars with soy protein, whey protein and other combinations of adhesion occurs so that the protein bars form a soft and elastic colloidal form.

The best effect of adding 0.3% xanthan gum on improving the texture of the protein bars was found from the sensory evaluation.