Plant-derived hydrocolloid · E440 / INS 440 · CAS 9000-69-5
Product image · confirm grade and packaging when ordering
Include product, soluble solids/Brix, pH, calcium, set/deposit process and target texture.
Mechanism firstSugar-acid or calcium-mediated gel
Process matchedSet rate must fit filling or depositing time
Confirm compositionPectin, standardizing sugar and buffer salts
Source evidenceRequest grade-specific specification and COA
Product identity
Pectins consist mainly of partial methyl esters of polygalacturonic acid and their ammonium, sodium, potassium or calcium salts. They are extracted from edible plant material, commonly citrus or apples. Amidated pectin also contains amide groups introduced by treatment with ammonia under alkaline conditions. JECFA pectins identity and methods (2016). Pectin is a polymeric material rather than one fixed molecular formula or molecular weight.
Commercial pectin may be standardized for consistent application performance. Grades may contain standardizing sugars and food-grade buffer salts. Request the complete composition and labeling information, including any additional ingredients in a blend, before comparing cost in use or substituting a grade.
The main technical decision
DE is the percentage of galacturonic-acid carboxyl groups esterified with methanol; DA is the percentage amidated. Neither is the pectin content of the bag. Confirm both where applicable, calcium response and standardization, then validate the grade in the actual formulation. JECFA analytical methods.
Evaluated primarily for sugar-acid gel systems and for selected protein-stabilization or viscosity functions.
Evaluated for calcium-mediated gels, including lower-soluble-solids fruit systems where calcium level and reactivity are controlled.
Amidation changes calcium response and the working window. DA must be stated together with DE and application performance.
Terminology boundary: “rapid set,” “slow set,” “gummy pectin,” “yogurt pectin” and “bakery pectin” are performance/market labels, not complete specifications. Require DE/DA, composition, test methods and a matched application trial.
Start with the formulation constraints
Start screening an HM grade, then choose setting rate around cook, transfer, filling and cooling time.
Screen LM or LMA by calcium reactivity, pH, sequestration and required gel texture.
Use an application-specific pectin; check protein level, pH path, heat, homogenization, sediment and serum separation.
Match gel onset to kettle/depositor residence, temperature and acid addition so the mass fills before setting.
Application-specific qualification
Select a grade for the food system and the process, then qualify texture and stability through the intended shelf life. Use levels require formulation trials and destination-market review; this page does not prescribe a universal dosage.
Set target Brix, pH, gel strength, spreadability and fruit suspension. Validate acid addition, endpoint solids, filling temperature, set time, syneresis and storage texture.
Match HM set rate or LM/LMA calcium response to depositing time. Test solids, acid timing, gel temperature, demoulding, drying, coating and bite throughout shelf life.
Selected HM grades are used to stabilize acidified dairy drinks. For dairy or plant-protein trials, match the grade to protein type, pH, acidification, heat and homogenization; measure viscosity, sediment and serum separation. Jam gel strength alone does not qualify a beverage grade.
Balance pumpability, bake stability, fruit suspension, water migration, sheen and clean cut. Test freeze-thaw or bake cycles where relevant.
Specifications and purchasing documents
The table lists information to request for the offered grade, not guaranteed Bespring limits. Agree the commercial specification and test methods in writing, and use a batch COA to verify reported results against that specification. A reference standard alone is not a batch test report.
On small screens, scroll the table horizontally to read all three columns.
Swipe or use the keyboard to read all columns
| Area | Required fields | Why it changes selection |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | E440(i) non-amidated or E440(ii) amidated; HM/LM/LMA; botanical source | Separates regulatory identity and gel mechanism |
| Modification | DE, DA where applicable, calcium reactivity | Predicts set behavior but does not replace application tests |
| Performance | Set category; SAG/gel strength and method; setting temperature, viscosity and test conditions | Matches cook, filling, deposit and cooling window |
| Composition | Pectin content, standardizing sugar/carrier, buffer salts, calcium salts or sequestrants | Clarify whether the offer is pectin standardized with sugars/buffers or a multi-ingredient system; compare on the same composition basis |
| Physical | Appearance, particle distribution, dispersibility, bulk density | Affects dosing, dust, lumping and hydration; request grade-specific addition instructions |
| Purity | Galacturonic acid with preparation/basis; loss on drying; total insolubles and acid-insoluble ash; SO2, nitrogen, residual solvents; individual elemental limits | Specify units and methods. Total ash is not acid-insoluble ash; “heavy metals as Pb” does not replace individual element tests |
| Microbiology | TPC, yeasts/moulds, E. coli and market/application-specific pathogens; method and tested sample mass | Must reflect process risk and destination requirements |
| Commercial | Packing, shelf life, storage, MOQ, quantity, origin, Incoterm, lead time | Connects technical approval to deliverable supply |
JECFA Monographs 19 (2016), pp. 85–89, specifies ≥65% galacturonic acid on an ash-free, dried basis after the prescribed acid/alcohol washing. This is not a guarantee that a standardized bag contains 65% active pectin. Request the assay method and basis. Read the 2016 pectins specification.
Historical reference: JECFA Monographs 4 (2007)Regulation (EU) 2026/196 applies from 18 August 2026. For E440(i)/(ii), the lead limit for uses other than foods for infants and young children is 1 mg/kg, versus JECFA's 2 mg/kg; infant/young-child uses have stricter EU limits. The amendment also specifies other elements and microbiology. Request the appropriate individual tests; do not assume JECFA evidence establishes EU conformity. Read Annex II and the transitional provisions.
Review the current EU amendmentCompliance boundary: ingredient purity and food-use authorization are separate checks. U.S. 21 CFR 184.1588 describes pectins and use under current good manufacturing practice, with an incorporated FCC specification. Confirm the applicable food category, conditions and labeling in the destination market; a company certificate does not establish coverage of this grade or batch.
Hydrate first, control gel timing
Evaluate dispersion, hydration and gel timing separately. Pectin forms a colloidal dispersion in water; use grade-specific mixing instructions and measure performance under the intended process conditions. EU E440 identification.
Record Brix/solids, pH, calcium, texture, set time, filling/deposit temperature and shelf conditions.
Use the supplier-approved addition route, often separating particles with a compatible dry blend before controlled addition into adequate agitation.
Control water availability, temperature, shear, time and ingredient order before high sugar, calcium or acid creates a restrictive environment.
Add acid or calcium according to the selected mechanism and keep the transfer/deposit operation inside the measured working window.
Evaluate set time, gel strength, spread/bite, syneresis, cut, filling stability and sensory release after defined equilibration.
Include storage temperature, freeze-thaw or baking where relevant, and compare at least one representative production-scale batch.
Storage and handling
Buyer questions
HM pectin has DE of at least 50% and is commonly selected for sugar-acid gels. LM pectin has DE below 50% and is commonly selected for calcium-mediated gels, including reduced-sugar systems. Match set behavior, pH, solids, calcium and processing; the types are not equal-weight substitutes.
No. Amidated LM pectin, commonly called LMA, corresponds to E440(ii) and contains amide groups measured by DA. Non-amidated LM corresponds to E440(i). Request DE, DA where applicable, calcium response and composition for the exact grade.
Not necessarily. Set speed and final gel strength are different properties. Match the working window to cooking, transfer, depositing and cooling. Compare SAG or other strength results only with the same method and test conditions.
No. Commercial pectin may contain standardizing sugars and buffer salts. Obtain the composition and labeling information. The galacturonic-acid assay after prescribed washing is not the active-pectin percentage of the bag and does not determine a replacement dosage.
Do not select a beverage grade by jam gel strength alone. Selected HM grades are used in acidified dairy drinks. Confirm suitability for the specific protein, pH, heat and homogenization process, and test sediment, serum separation and viscosity through storage.
Request the current grade-specific specification or TDS, a representative COA, composition and labeling information, SDS, and test methods for critical properties. Confirm availability and scope of any certification. A batch COA reports batch results; a standard defines requirements and a specification defines agreed limits.
State the food application, HM/LM/LMA or required function, soluble solids/Brix, pH, calcium, DE/DA if specified, working time and temperature, and target texture. Include the required standard, critical tests, quantity, packaging, destination, Incoterm and delivery requirements.
Content updated: 2026-10-05 · Identity and standard references: FAO/WHO JECFA, U.S. eCFR and the EU E440 amendment.
Related texture systems
Compare gel, viscosity, suspension and protein-stabilization routes across the ingredient family.
Compare ion-controlled gel and fluid-gel suspension behavior.
Evaluate protein-reactive and gel systems for dairy and other foods.
Compare calcium-triggered gelation with a different polymer and process window.
Connect gel and viscosity choices with filling, migration, bake stability and shelf texture.
Evaluate protein, acidification, heat, homogenization and stability as one system.
Application-matched sourcing
Describe the gel mechanism and process window so sales can screen a relevant grade rather than a generic pectin offer.
Tell us your grade and destination market so we can confirm which documents are available for your order.
An external reference is not a batch certificate or a Bespring product specification. FDA — Pectin ↗