Which of the following actions are most likely to ensure that the gel balls will form? Select two correct answers.

Question

A.
Add only the alginate and calcium ions to the juice.
B.
Double the amount of juice.
C.
Add lemon juice (pH = 3.05) to the juice, and retest the pH.
D.
Add sodium citrate (pH = 7.5) to the juice, and retest the pH.
E.
Add the food additive E452i (pH = 6.25) to the juice, and retest the pH.

Answer 1

To ensure that gel balls will form, you typically need to create a suitable environment for the gelation process, which often involves the right pH balance and the presence of calcium ions. Considering this context, the most likely actions to ensure gel formation among the provided options would be:

A. Add only the alginate and calcium ions to the juice.
This option is likely to directly initiate the gel formation process, as alginate requires calcium ions to form a gel, making it a logical choice.

D. Add sodium citrate (pH = 7.5) to the juice, and retest the pH.
Sodium citrate can act as a pH regulator. Bringing the pH closer to neutral (which is favorable for alginate gelation) might enhance the chances of gel formation.

So, the best choices for ensuring gel ball formation are A and D.