Traditional dairy products, including cream cheese, cottage cheese, buttermilk and cream, use stabilizers. But products that go beyond the norm are presenting new challenges; yogurts, frozen desserts, flavored beverages and smoothies with functional or novelty status are constantly being developed in the ever-changing industry. In addition to new formulations, the packaging and handling of even standard dairy line products has created issues. Standards of Identity (SOI) should be reviewed when considering certain hydrocolloids and emulsifiers; legal uses and use limits often are identified in a dairy SOI.
Traditional gums include guar, locust bean, xanthan, cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, carrageenan, pectin, agars, alginates, propylene glycol alginates, gelatin, starches and methylcellulose. Conventional emulsifiers comprise mono and diglycerides, polysorbates, lecithin, egg yolks, propylene glycol monoesters and sodium steroyl lactylate. Also important are stabilizing aids like citrates, phosphates, neutralizers and sulfates.