Carrageenan for Meatballs, Fish Balls and Sausages: Choosing the Right Blend

By Bospres Team

For meatballs and rollade choose Artagum BA 27, for fish balls and fish cakes choose Artagum BA 53, and for sausages, ham and bacon choose FG 88102. All three are custom blended carrageenan for meat and processed meat, supplied in 25 kg bags with a recommended dosage of 0.5–1.5%. They differ in gel strength, viscosity and particle size, which decide how firm, springy and sliceable the finished product is.

This guide compares the three blends, explains what each parameter means in a meat plant, and shows how to run a first trial. All figures come from our product datasheets.

Why use a carrageenan blend in meat products?

Meat products need to hold water and fat, keep their shape when cooked and sliced, and stay juicy after cooking or reheating. Carrageenan is a seaweed-based hydrocolloid that binds water and builds a gel network in the product. A blend combines carrageenan with other ingredients so that one powder delivers the texture, yield and bite your recipe needs, instead of several separate additives.

How do BA 27, BA 53 and FG 88102 compare?

BA 53 dissolves above 65 °C, while the other blends dissolve above 60 °C. Check this against your cooking or mixing temperature before you start.

Which blend suits which product?

Artagum BA 27 for meatballs and rollade

BA 27 has a wide gel strength range (600–1100 g/cm²), which suits meatballs and rollade where a firm, springy bite is wanted. See the Artagum BA 27 page for the full specification.

Artagum BA 53 for fish balls and fish cakes

BA 53 combines higher gel strength (800–1100 g/cm²) with narrow viscosity (80–130 cP), which gives a consistent, firm texture in fish products. See Artagum BA 53.

FG 88102 for sausages, ham and bacon

FG 88102 has a lower gel strength (450–600 g/cm²) and a finer particle size (min. 95% through #120). A finer powder disperses more easily in brine and mixes, which helps in sliceable and injected products. See FG 88102.

How do I run a first trial?

1. Start at the middle of the range. Try 1.0% on the finished weight and adjust in steps of 0.25%.
2. Disperse the powder well. Mix it with dry ingredients or add it to cold water or brine under agitation before heating, so it does not form lumps.
3. Keep one variable per trial. Change the dosage or the grade, not both.
4. Judge the result the way your customer does. Bite, juiciness, slicing and cooking loss after cooking and after cooling.

Every recipe is different, so treat the dosage in the datasheet as a starting point and confirm it in your own plant.

What should I know about supply and ordering?

• Minimum order: 550 kg (1 CBM), packed in 25 kg bags. If you need a custom formulation to your own recipe, the minimum order is 25 tons.
• Lead time: 14 days after deposit.
• Shipping: CIF, FOB or other Incoterms by agreement, from Tanjung Priok or Tanjung Perak.
• Samples: free, with shipping paid by the buyer. Sample size can be adjusted to your request.
• Documents: certificate of analysis with every lot, commercial invoice and packing list.

Please check local food additive regulations for your market before you formulate.

Tell us your product, target texture and cooking process. Contact our team and we will recommend a blend and send a free sample. You can also see the full meat and processed meat solutions, or read how semi-refined and refined carrageenan differ.