Chapter 7 - Plant-based gels

Abstract

Naturally sourced gels from plant-based biopolymers have advanced a lot in the recent decades, thereby, creating an increased economical demand for plant-based food gels due to its low price, sustainable production, high stability, worldwide availability, nontoxicity, and diverse potential. These plant-based food gels are developed from a range of food hydrocolloids that are derived from plants and have a wide range of applications like fat replacement, thickening and gelling agents, stabilizing agents (for foams, dispersions and emulsions), reducing syneresis, and increasing water retention. Thus, this chapter has been aligned to focus on the edible gels only with plant-based ingredients that have been classified as protein, polysaccharide, and binary gels, along with a detailed discussion on its fabrication methods, functions, applications, and properties. Further, it also identifies emerging approaches and trends that may improve and expand the current scope, properties, and functionalities of plant-based food gels and inspire new applications.