Hydrogels are widely used in the food industry, often as thickeners and structurants. A hydrogel is a biopolymer- and water-based structure with very small pores. As a three-dimensional network with the ability to hold water, it looks and behaves a bit like a kitchen sponge.
At Maurten, we’ve found a way to build hydrogels with natural food ingredients. And we’ve filled the structure with the most efficient source of energy around – carbohydrates.
The hydrogels in our sports drinks are built from the combination of two natural ingredients:
- Alginate – extracted from the cell walls of brown algae.
- Pectin – found in apples, lemons, carrots and tomatoes, to name a few.
These two dietary fibers have been used for decades within the food industry. Combined under precisely the right circumstances, alginate and pectin form a pH-sensitive hydrogel.