Stabiliser (food)

{{Short description|Food additive}}

File:Pectin.jpg is used as a stabiliser in foods such as yogurt]]

A stabiliser or stabilizer is an additive to food which helps to preserve its structure. Typical uses include preventing oil-water emulsions from separating in products such as salad dressing; preventing ice crystals from forming in frozen food such as ice cream; and preventing fruit from settling in products such as jam, yogurt and jellies. Some of these food additives may promote the growth of specific microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract that can ferment them.{{cite journal |last1=Ostrowski |first1=Matthew P. |last2=La Rosa |first2=Sabina Leanti |last3=Kunath |first3=Benoit J. |last4=Robertson |first4=Andrew |last5=Pereira |first5=Gabriel |last6=Hagen |first6=Live H. |last7=Varghese |first7=Neha J. |last8=Qiu |first8=Ling |last9=Yao |first9=Tianming |last10=Flint |first10=Gabrielle |last11=Li |first11=James |last12=McDonald |first12=Sean P. |last13=Buttner |first13=Duna |last14=Pudlo |first14=Nicholas A. |last15=Schnizlein |first15=Matthew K. |last16=Young |first16=Vincent B. |last17=Brumer |first17=Harry |last18=Schmidt |first18=Thomas M. |last19=Terrapon |first19=Nicolas |last20=Lombard |first20=Vincent |last21=Henrissat |first21=Bernard |last22=Hamaker |first22=Bruce |last23=Eloe-Fadrosh |first23=Emiley A. |last24=Tripathi |first24=Ashootosh |last25=Pope |first25=Phillip B. |last26=Martens |first26=Eric C. |title=Mechanistic insights into consumption of the food additive xanthan gum by the human gut microbiota |journal=Nature Microbiology |date=April 2022 |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=556–569 |doi=10.1038/s41564-022-01093-0|pmid=35365790 |s2cid=247866305 |hdl=11250/3003739 |hdl-access=free }}

The following hydrocolloids are the most common ones used as stabilisers:{{citation |title=Food Stabilisers, Thickeners and Gelling Agents |author=Alan Imeson |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-4443-6033-2}}

• alginate
• agar
• carrageen
• cellulose and cellulose derivatives
• gelatin
• guar gum
• gum Arabic
• locust bean gum
• pectin
• starch
• xanthan gum