Effects of Concentration, Bloom Degree, and pH on Gelatin Melting and Gelling Temperatures Using Small Amplitude Oscillatory Rheology

Concentration, gel strength (Bloom), and pH effects on both melting and gelling temperatures of gelatin were studied using small amplitude oscillatory rheology. Temperature sweeps were applied to gelatin gel samples for heating and cooling at fixed frequencies. Results showed that melting temperatures were higher than gelling temperatures, and both increased with increasing concentration at pH from 3 to 6 for all gel strength. For constant gelatin concentration and pH, as gel strength increased, melting temperatures decreased, whereas gelling temperatures increased. A mathematical model was obtained which correlates melting and gelling temperatures, respectively, with pH and concentration at fixed Bloom degrees. All gelatin gels showed storage modulus higher (2 to 10 kPa) than loss modulus (50 to 500 Pa).