Date of Award

Summer 7-15-1977

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Food Science

First Advisor

Rutledge, James

Second Advisor

Liuzzo, Joseph

Third Advisor

Lewis, Harvye

Abstract

By the use of mild demineralization in the purification of chitin from shrimp shells and optimizing the deacetylation of this chitin, chitosan capable of producing viscosities of 9600 cps were produced. This is substantially higher than the viscosity of the commercial product, whose viscosity is only 1000 cps. The effectiveness of this high quality chitosan as a stabilizer in hot sauces was then investigated. From prelim­inary studies using the commercially produced chitosan, it was concluded that the method of incorporating the gum into the hot sauces was very important. Therefore, three methods of adding the chitosan to the hot sauces were examined. These methods mainly differed in the sequence in which chitosan and acetic acid were combined in order to form a viscous solution. Results indicated that if the chitosan was mixed with the solid components of the hot sauce before the acid, no viscous solutions were formed. Apparently the high salt content (over 5%) of the hot sauces nullifies the viscosity producing potential of chitosan. If the viscous solution was produced before it was mixed with the solids, the two components repelled each other and the solids sedimented to the bottom of the bottle.

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.8240

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