A food stabilizer is a substance that is added to food products to help preserve or improve their original physical and chemical properties, as well as their original texture. They make things far more palatable to consumers while also serving the functional aim of preservation.
They belong to the same family of substances as thickeners and gelling agents. These chemicals, which can be created artificially or naturally, function at the particle level to preserve and purposefully change a product's viscosity. Pectin, lecithin, and carrageenan are a few typical types of food stabilizers. Many stabilizers are easily included in food products because they mimic other popular powders and liquids.
As was already said, one of a food stabilizer's main purposes is to keep the oil and water from separating. You've probably experienced firsthand what oil and water separation in a packaged food product looks like if you've ever had to vigorously stir a salad dressing. It might just be an inconvenience for salad eaters, but on a broader scale, excessive separation might cause product degradation.
As a result, items like instant pudding or canned fish may contain stabilizers, such as sodium pyrophosphate. The stabilizer in those products helps avoid a buildup at the bottom of the container that resembles sludge.
Carrageenan, which is derived from moss and algae and frequently used in dairy products, is another typical stabilizer. It is also a crucial stabilizer that contributes to the creamy texture of ice cream.