Sodium Carboxyl Methyl Cellulose (E466)

Sodium Carboxyl Methyl Cellulose

Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose is a water-soluble anionic cellulose derivative made from purified cellulose providing cold-water hydration, wide pH stability (2-12), and pseudoplastic rheology as primary thickener/stabilizer forming viscous solutions at 0.1-2%. In the food industry, it delivers suspension control, freeze-thaw stability, and clean mouthfeel ideal for beverages, dairy, bakery fillings, and gluten-free products.

Food Industry Applications

• Beverages: Suspends pulp, cloudifiers, and pigments in juices, smoothies, and RTD drinks preventing sedimentation at 0.05-0.3%, low flavor impact, stable through pasteurization at 90°C.

• Dairy products: Prevents whey separation in yogurts and stabilizes ice cream preventing ice crystal growth, provides spoonable texture at pH 4.0-4.6, freeze-thaw stable through 5 cycles.

• Bakery fillings: Controls syneresis in fruit preps and custards maintaining pumpable consistency during hot-fill up to 85°C, prevents boil-out during baking at 180°C, ambient stable.

• Gluten-free bakery: Improves dough rheology and water binding in breads and cakes preventing crumbly texture, enhances volume and softness through 7-day storage.

• Sauces and dressings: Provides shear-thinning viscosity for smooth mouthfeel and pumpability, resists breakdown during high-speed mixing, brine-tolerant preventing emulsion separation.

• Reduced-fat products: Mimics fat mouthfeel in low-fat spreads and mayonnaise at 0.5-1.5%, creates short creamy texture without gumminess, heat-stable processing.

Other Industry Applications

In pharmaceuticals, serves as tablet binder and controlled-release matrix; in cosmetics, suspends particles in toothpaste and stabilizes emulsions; in detergents, thickens formulations; in oilfield, controls fluid loss during drilling; in paper, improves dry strength and retention.