Sodium Alginate is a natural polysaccharide product extracted from brown seaweed that grows in cold water regions. It is soluble in cold and hot water with strong agitation and can thicken and bind. In presence of calcium, sodium alginate forms a gel without the need of heat.Sodium Alginate is used in the food industry to increase viscosity and as an emulsifier. It is also used in indigestion tablets and it has no discernible flavor.

not affected by temperature. Gel is heat stable up to 150 °C (302 °F) but prolonged heat treatment at low or high PH may destabilize the gel. does not gel at PH below 3.7  and above 10.

  In the food industry, sodium alginate is used as thickener in sauces, syrups and toppings for ice cream. By thickening pie fillings with sodium alginate, softening of the pastry by liquid from the filling is reduced. Water-in-oil emulsions such as mayonnaise and salad dressings thickened with sodium alginate are less likely to separate into their original oil and water.

Sodium alginate is also used as stabilizers in ice cream. The addition of sodium alginate reduces the formation of ice crystals during freezing, giving a smooth result.

Another use of sodium alginate is to form films of sodium or calcium alginate and fibres of calcium alginates.

formula : (C₆H₈O₆)_n

E number : E400

wikipedia & www.molecularrecipes.com