κ-Carrageenan and Its Synergistic Blends: Next-Generation Food Gels

Abstract

The growing demand for plant-based foods, together with environmental and ethical concerns associated with animal-derived ingredients, has intensified research into alternative gelling agents for the food industry. Within this framework, the review focuses on the use of vegetable hydrocolloids in dairy analogues, confectionery-type gels, and emerging 3D-printed food systems. Plant-based hydrocolloids have emerged as promising candidates to replace animal gelatin across diverse applications. This review highlights recent advances in the use of plant-based hydrocolloids, focusing on κ-carrageenan (κ-C) and its blends with other plant-based gums as functional gelling systems for food products. Particular attention is given to synergistic combinations of κ-C with other hydrocolloids (e.g., loc