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Konjac & Konjac Flour, Gum, and Glucomannan: Uses, Health benefitsKonjac Shirataki NoodlesTHICKENERS

Konjac gum and konjac glucomannan are two water-soluble hydrocolloids that can be used as a thickener, stabilizer, gelling agent, film former and fat replacer in food, with the European food additive number E425(i) and E425(ii), respectively.

The difference between these two ingredients is mainly the purity of glucomannan in them. Glucomannan is dietary fiber and the main functional component in konjac flour. This content is required ≥ 75% in konjac gum, while needed more than 95% in konjac glucomannan.

What is Konjac?
Konjac, a traditional agricultural food with a history of 1500 years in both China and Japan. It is the tuber (root) of the perennial plant of Amorphophallus konjac.

Moisture

Moisture has a great influence on the quality of dried konjac flour. Fresh konjac tubers have a high water content (80%-85%), so it is easily moldy, spoiled and cannot be stored for a long time.

Therefore, in order to prolong shelf life, the konjac is usually processed into dried slices or chips to reduce the water content (generally about 15%) after harvest.

SO2
Konjac slices/chips are prone to browning during processing, so SO2 is often added to prevent browning and to make a bleaching effect.

That’s why you will see the item of SO2 content in the specification of both konjac gum and konjac glucomannan.

The dried konjac needs to be further processed into konjac flour to be used as food raw materials. The quality of the konjac flour primarily depends on the source of the konjac plant.

Components

The glucomannan is the main component in konjac tuber in a dry basis, the assay of which is about 30%-50%, and varies according to the types of konjac, and the rest are cellulose, starch, protein, soluble sugars, inorganic salts, alkaloids, vitamins and etc.

What is Konjac flour?
It is a general name for konjac powder, which can refer to both konjac gum and konjac glucomannan. Both konjac gum and konjac glucomannan (KGM) are derived from konjac flour.

Types of konjac flour
Konjac flour is made from the grinding of slices/chips of dried konjac. According to the purification of glucomannan, it can be classified into three types: common konjac flour, konjac gum and konjac glucomannan.

The color of konjac flour is an important item for judging the quality of konjac flour. The more white the color, the more the content of glucomannan in it.

1. Common konjac flour
Here means unpurified konjac flour and with the following properties:

Smell: with the inherent smell of konjac and a slight smell of sulfur dioxide.
Appearance: white, with a small amount of yellow, brown or black particles.
Purity: a very simple purification process to remove starch and cellulose.
Glucomannan content: not less than 65%.
Viscosity: ≥ 14,000 mpa.s
Mesh size: commonly with 40-120mesh and above 120mesh in the market.
2. Konjac gum

Also known as purified konjac flour, obtained by aqueous extraction of konjac flour. It is not claimed as dietary fiber and so without physiological benefits.

Smell: with the inherent smell of konjac.
Appearance: white to cream to light tan powder.
Glucomannan content: not less than 75%.
Viscosity: ≥ 23,000 mpa.s.
3. Konjac Glucomannan
Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a natural food gum extracted from the hemicellulose component in the cell walls of Amorphophallus konjac. It is also a water-soluble dietary fiber.

KGM is a natural high-molecular-weight polysaccharide, with excellent hydrophilicity, gelability, emulsification, film-forming and thickening effect.

Due to these properties, KGM has a wide range of applications in food.

Manufacturing process


Glucomannan is produced by washing konjac flour with water-containing ethanol as it is easy to absorb water and insoluble in ethanol.

The ethanol precipitation manufacturing process is to isolate glucomannan by removing starches, cellulose, protein and other components. And follows centrifugation, milled, drying and other processes to obtain pure KGM.

Structure

Glucomannan is composed of D-mannose and D-glucose units at a molar ratio of 1.6:1.0, connected by b(1-4)-glycosidic bonds.

Structural formula of the repeating unit of konjac glucomannan
Chemical Structure of Repeating unit, Source

Specification
Other names
Konnyaku
Yam flour
Konjac mannan
Elephant yam
CAS number 37220-17-0
Chemical formula C24H42O21 (Glucomannan)
Molecular weight 200,000–2,000,000 (konjac gum)

500,000–2,000,000 (konjac glucomannan)

Properties
Solubility
The large molecular weight lowers the solubility of konjac in water, but the presence of a large number of hydroxyl groups in the molecule enables it to absorb around 80-100 times a quantity of their own.

Viscosity
Highest viscosity

Konjac forms highly viscous solutions after swells and hydrates in water. The viscosity of 1g konjac diss
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Fructooligosaccharides(FOB),CAS No.: 308066-66-2 , also known as cane fruit oligosaccharides, from one to three fructose-based β (2-1) glycosidic bonds generated in conjunction with sucrose in the fructose-based triple sugar cane fruit, cane fruit sugar and cane fruit fivea mixture of sugar and so on. 100 g dry weight of Jerusalem artichoke, about 60-70 grams of inulin, inulin is a linear β-2, 1 - connected by the glycosidic chain fructan end of a sucrose base. Therefore, using inulin in Jerusalem artichoke powder as raw material to enzyme hydrolysis, eventually refined oligo fructose corn syrup.

Properties and mechanism of FOS
Oligofructose is a soluble dietary fiber, long-term use can reduce serum cholesterol and improve lipid metabolism, confirmed by animal and human studies. Oligofructose have the following physiological functions: utilized by bifidobacteria and other beneficial bacteria, that is, only the proliferation of 10 to 100 times, Bifidobacterium (pathogens), the effect of two-way adjustment. Human intake of fructo-oligosaccharides, the body of beneficial bacteria Bifidobacterium inhibit exogenous pathogens and intestinal natural spoilage bacteria such as Salmonella, such as growth and reproduction, growth and accumulation of reduce intestinal corruption substances, promote intestinal peristalsis, prevent constipation and diarrhea. Oligofructose is a good source of soluble dietary fiber, can effectively reduce the number of serum cholesterol, triglyceride, free fatty acids, such as hypertension, arteriosclerosis, high blood lipids and cardiovascular disease have a better improve. Fructo-oligosaccharides by bacterial fermentation in the large intestine to generate L-lactic acid, dissolved calcium, magnesium, iron and other minerals, and the promotion of human absorption of minerals.


The experiments confirmed that oligofructose promote calcium absorption rate of 70.8%. Thus, FOS can promote the growth and development and the prevention of osteoporosis. But can also promote the natural formation of vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and folic acid, thereby increasing the level of human metabolism, improve immunity and disease resistance. Prevention and improvement of skin diseases caused by the in vivo toxic to prevent surface sores, spots, freckles, acne, age spots, skin bright, aging slow down. Bifidobacteria absorbed fructooligosaccharide, rapid proliferation, inhibition of E. coli, Salmonella and Clostridium and Bacillus spoilage bacteria play a role in reducing the toxic metabolites (eg, indole, the formation of nitroso ammonia), while toxic metabolites quickly excreted, and reduce the burden of the liver, play a role in protecting the liver, the prevention of various chronic diseases, cancer and other obvious fructooligosaccharides rarely gastrointestinal stomach acid and enzymes break down is extremely difficult to be absorbed by the body. It has been determined, the heat of fructooligosaccharides value 1.5Kcal / g sucrose thermal to value 4.6Kcal / g, the intake of oligofructose, does not cause obesity, is an ideal, low calorific value of the functional sweet agent. fructooligosaccharides can not be mutations in Streptococcus use the formation of insoluble glucan and oral deposition of microorganisms acid production, and corrosion of the places (tartar), and therefore can prevent tooth decay.
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Generally, neotame is produced by the reaction between aspartame and 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde under hydrogen pressure. Other raw materials involved in the reactions are methanol (solvent), palladium/carbon (catalyst), and diatomaceous earth (food grade may be used as a filtering aid). (1)

Here is the synthesis reaction:

neotame manufacturing process


Specification
Other names N-(N-(3,3-Dimethylbutyl)-L-alpha-aspartyl)-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester
CAS number 165450-17-9
Chemical formula C20H30N2O5
Molecular Weight 378.47
Properties
Appearance
A white, crystalline powder or granular with a clean, sweet taste.

Structure
neotame chemical structure

Its name comes from its molecular structure, a 6-carbon neohexyl group attached to the amine nitrogen of aspartame.

Solubility
Sparingly soluble in water (solubility in water, 12.6g/L at 25℃, aspartame is 10g/L) and very soluble in alcohol.

Stable than aspartame

Heat stable in 100℃, and can be used at high temperatures for cooking and baking while aspartame cannot. This advantage also enables it to be used in the process of pasteurization and high temperature sterilization, but it would be decomposed if exposed for a long time at 120℃.

Sweetness
It is the sweetest among the category of artificial sweeteners. The following are the sweetness comparison among artificial sweeteners:

Table sugar 1 (as the base)
Sodium cyclamate 50
Aspartame 200
Acesulfame k 200
Sodium saccharin 300
Sucralose 600
Neotame 6000
Tastes and aftertaste
Taste like sugar, without a bitter, or metallic aftertaste, making it the optimal sugar replacement to use in food and drink products.
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In several countries, ammonium chloride, under the name sal ammoniac or colloquially salmiak is used as food additive under the E number E510, commonly as a yeast nutrient in breadmaking. It is a feed supplement for cattle and an ingredient in nutritive media for yeasts and many microorganisms.


Ammonium chloride is used to spice up dark sweets called salty liquorice (very popular in Nordic countries, especially in Finland), in baking to give cookies a very crisp texture, and in the vodka Salmiakki Koskenkorva for flavouring. In India and Pakistan, it is called "Noshader" and is used to improve the crispness of snacks such as samosas and jalebi.
http://www.chinafooding.com/Ammonium_Chloride

Ammonium Bicarbonate substitute for yeast in baking, production of ammonium salts, ingredient of fire extinguishing compounds, pharmaceuticals, dyes & pigments, degreasing textiles , inflater for rubber, food additive, in cooling baths, in compost heaps to accelerate decomposition, manufacture of ceramics, chrome leather tanning, manufacture of catalysts.
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