Meska Joinway Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

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Overview

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC, also known as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose)

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC, also known as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) is a safe and multifunctional food additive (international code E464) in the food industry and is widely used in a variety of food systems. The following are its specific applications and technical details in the food field.

Features

Function	Mechanism of action	Typical application scenarios
Thickener	Increase liquid viscosity and improve rheological properties	Sauces, beverages, dairy products
Stabilizer	Prevent phase separation (emulsification, suspension)	Plant protein drinks, ice
Film former	Forming edible film	Fruit coated, vegetarian capsules
Water Retention Agent	Locks in moisture and delays aging	Baked goods, quick-frozen noodles
Foam stabilizer	Maintaining the bubble structure	Whipped cream, beer foam

Application

1. Plant-based foods (fastest growing segment)

Plant protein drinks (such as oat milk, soy milk)

Function: Prevent protein and particles from settling and improve the smoothness of the taste.
Addition amount: 0.1%~0.3% (excessive amount may cause stickiness).
Alternative: Often used in combination with carrageenan (E407).

Vegan cheese/artificial meat

Function: Simulate the taste of fat and improve the elasticity of texture.
Technical points: You need to choose a low viscosity model (such as HPMC E5).

2. Bakery

Gluten-free bread

Function: Replace the network structure of gluten and maintain fluffiness.
Formula recommendation: HPMC (0.5%~1%) + xanthan gum (E415) for synergistic effect.
Mechanism of extending shelf life: reducing starch retrogradation and delaying the hardening of bread.

3. Frozen food

Ice cream

Function: Inhibit the growth of ice crystals and improve melting resistance.
Advantages: Compared with CMC (carboxymethyl cellulose), HPMC has a higher gel temperature (above 60°C), which is suitable for transportation in hot seasons.

4. Candies & Coatings

Soft candy/jelly

Function: Provides elastic texture and replaces gelatin (suitable for vegetarian products).
Note: Potassium/calcium ions (such as potassium citrate) are required to promote gelation.

Fruit fresh-keeping coating

Formula: HPMC (1%~2%) + beeswax, delaying water loss in apples and citrus fruits.

5. Convenience Food

Instant soup/sauce packs

Function: Enhance the thickness and prevent stratification.
Case: HPMC E15 (viscosity ~15 mPa·s) is used in a certain brand of instant noodle sauce packets.

Overview

1. Chemical name

Methylcellulose (MC)

2. Product Technical Requirements

Meets the GB1886.256-2024 standard for food additive methylcellulose.

Project Name	Indicators (MC series)
Methoxy（wt %)	27.5-31.5
Loss on drying（wt %)	≤5
Burning residue（wt %)	≤1
Heavy metal（ppm )	≤20
Lead（ppm )	≤2
pH（ppm )	5.0-8.0
Viscosity	See viscosity classification

Viscosity Specifications
Category	Specification	Scope mpa.s
Extra low viscosity	5	3-7
	10	8-12
	15	13-18
Low viscosity	25	20-30
	50	40-60
	100	80-120
High viscosity	300	250-350
	400	350-550
	800	600-1000
	1000	800-1200
	1200	1000-1400
	1500	1200-1800
	2000	1600-2400
	3000	2500-3400
	4000	3500-5600
	6000	5000-9000
	8000	7000-9000
	10000	8000-12000
	12000	10000-14000
	15000	13000-16500
Ultra-high viscosity	20000	17000-22000
	25000	22000-28000
	30000	27000-32000
	35000	32000-38000
	40000	38000-42000
	50000	45000-55000
	60000	55000-65000
	75000	70000-80000
	80000	75000-85000
	100000	85000-105000

Note: Test conditions: 2% viscosity, 20℃ aqueous solution

3. Properties

Appearance: White or off-white fibrous or granular powder, odorless and tasteless.
Solubility: Almost insoluble in anhydrous ethanol, ether, and acetone. It swells rapidly in hot water at 80-90°C and dissolves rapidly upon cooling. It is quite stable in water at room temperature. It gels at high temperatures and undergoes a reversible transition from gel to dissolution upon heating and cooling.
Characteristics: It possesses excellent wetting, dispersibility, adhesiveness, thickening, emulsifying, water-retention, and film-forming properties, as well as impermeability to oils. The resulting film exhibits excellent toughness, flexibility, and transparency. As it is non-ionic, it is compatible with other emulsifiers, but it is prone to salting out. The solution is stable within the pH range of 2-12.
Density: 1.3 g/cm³; Apparent density: 0.25-0.7 g/cm³;
Color change temperature: 190-200℃
Carbonization temperature: 225-230°C
Surface tension: 47-53 dyn/cn at 25℃

4. Use

Methylcellulose is physiologically inert and widely used in pharmaceuticals, food, and cosmetics as a thickener, protective colloid, co-emulsifier, pigment, tablet binder, and film-forming agent. Aqueous solutions of methylcellulose exhibit excellent surface activity, imparting a smooth texture to food and maintaining stable suspension under both refrigerated and heated conditions. Food-grade cellulose aqueous solutions can be easily cast and dried to form films suitable for the preparation of edible films, film-coated tablets, and microcapsules. The adhesive properties of methylcellulose can enhance the integrity, strength, and flexibility of products.

5. Package

This product is packaged in round cardboard drums (lined with pharmaceutical-grade polyethylene film inner bags). Net weight per package: 20kg.

6. Storage and transportation precautions

Avoid exposure to sunlight and rain, and keep away from moisture.

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