Cream cheese is a staple in many households where it’s often used as a spread for bagels or as a base for sauces, dips or cheesecake. What many consumers love about using cream cheese is that it works with both sweet and savory dishes.

While cream cheese can be made in the home rather easily, formulating a stable and reproducible cream cheese for commercial use can pose some challenges. This is where hydrocolloid-based cream cheese stabilizers come into play. Because cream cheese contains a higher fat content than other cheeses and fat and liquids don’t mix well, stabilizers are useful for syneresis control, or to control liquid from separating. Hydrocolloids also help to protect and enhance the integrity of cut that consumers are well-acquainted with in commercial cream cheese.

cream cheese on a bagel

Texture Attributes of Cream Cheese
Texture Attribute Definitions Examples
Firmness The force required to compress the sample between the thumb and index finger aerosol whipped topping vs cream cheese (block)
Spreadable The ease with which the sample can be evenly spread across another surface nougat vs spreadable margarine
Integrity of Cut The degree to which the cross-section in the container remains clearly defined after removing a portion of the sample with a spoon cooked oatmeal vs water dessert gel

Functions of stabilizers in cream cheese

  • Impart a set texture with a creamy and smooth mouthfeel
  • Stabilize an emulsion

Questions a Gum Guru may ask when recommending a stabilizer

  • Are you making any label claims?
  • Is this a dairy-based cream cheese?
  • What functionality are you looking to achieve?

Selecting a stabilizer for your cream cheese formulation

Our most popular stabilizer recommendations for cream cheese are listed below. Click on the product name to learn more about the product and to request a sample.

If you'd rather talk with a Gum Guru about the specific texture and stability needs of your formulation, call our technical support hotline +1-800-899-3953 / +1-410-273-7300 or chat live online.

Resources

Products

  • Product
    Application
    Usage Level
    Features
  • Caragum® 300 2473
    Dairy, Cream Cheese
    0.15-0.25%
    Provides syneresis control, firmness, and a cost-in-use savings in comparison to traditional stabilizers
  • TIC Pretested® Stabilizer 424 Powder
    Dairy, Cream Cheese
    0.15-0.35%
    Contributes to gel set, syneresis control and firmness
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