1. Guar Gum

• LBG and guar are similar enough in functionality to replace one another however, guar is much cheaper².
• Guar is therefore used as an alternative to LBG in many applications but LBG is generally only partially replaced with guar².

2. Tara gum

• Tara gum is similar to guar and LBG in terms of structure and functional properties⁴.
• Like guar, tara gum can reach a high viscosity in water within a few minutes⁴.
• Similar to LBG, tara gum can act synergistically with agar and xanthan to increase gel strength and make it less prone to syneresis⁴.

3. Konjac glucomannan (KGM)

• Act synergistically with agar and xanthan during gel formation, best synergism is obtained when konjac to xanthan ratio is 70:30 (w/w)³.
• Mixtures of xanthan and KGM are reported to produce ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ gels having texture similar to that of gelatin³.
• Hence, they provide a useful replacement in applications where ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ characteristics are important for product quality and where moderate acidity is acceptable or necessary (e.g., fruit jellies)³.

References

¹Gum Technology. (n. d.). Hydrocolloids & Stabilizing Systems. Tara Gum.

²Philp, K. (2018). Polysaccharide Ingredients. Reference Module In Food Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-08-100596-5.22367-6

³Saha, D., & Bhattacharya, S. (2010). Hydrocolloids as thickening and gelling agents in food: a critical review. Journal Of Food Science And Technology, 47(6), 587-597. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-010-0162-6

⁴Wu, Y., Ding, W., Jia, L., & He, Q. (2015). The rheological properties of tara gum (Caesalpinia spinosa). Food Chemistry, 168, 366-371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.07.083