Influence of Storage on the Water Binding of Pectin: Determination by DSC

Citrus pectins, necessary for the food industry and many other applications, are produced by large companies and distributed worldwide. On their way to the customers, the pectins may be stored under unfavourable environmental conditions for longer periods. This can alter their properties and affect their quality in the final application. It can be assumed that (1) pectins from different suppliers, produced from varying raw materials and under different processing conditions, have also varying material properties and water binding behaviour, and (2) the storage of pectins at 60 °C and 80 % humidity might alter these properties and the increase of hydrophilic groups might increase also their water binding ability. The aim of the present study was to investigate the water binding properties of different commercial pectins prior to and after storage by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at different water contents.