Agar Gel Strength


Industry:

Gels

Food

Attributes measured:

gel strength

flexibility

hardness

Background

The TA.XT2, TA.XT2i and TA.XTPlus Texture Analyzers are the most popular instrument worldwide among major manufacturers and users of gelatin. Virtually the entire membership of the Gelatin Manufacturers Institute of America (GMIA) has standardized its gel testing on the 5 kilo load cell model of the TA.XTPlus family of Texture Analyzers (which has a sensitivity of 0.1 gram). This study briefly summarizes the standard GMIA method of measuring gel strength. Precise measurement of gel firmness is critical because gelatins are sold on the basis of their gel strength, and the proper formulation and processing of gelatin-based products cannot occur without knowledge of the Bloom value.