Other gelling agents

• Carrageenan is a high-molecular weight polysaccharide obtained from red algae and has long been used in China and Ireland. It is a common food additive used as a stabilizer or emulsifier.
• Alginates come from brown seaweeds. They only form gels in the presence of calcium. They are the preferred emulsifiers for ice cream and other dairy products.
• Gellan is an industrial discovery. It is a polysaccharide produced as a fermentation product of the bacteria Sphingomonas elodea. Gellan forms a gel in the presence of salts and/or acids. Gellan is extremely versatile as it forms gels in textures ranging from hard and brittle to fluid. It is used in cosmetics and air-freshners as well as a common additive in food.