Patent ID: 8168765

Claim:
An amidated pectin prepared by a process comprising: contacting a starting pectin material with a pectin methyl esterase capable of de-esterifying the starting pectin material to produce a de-esterified pectin, monitoring the de-esterification of the starting pectin material and terminating the de-esterification when the de-esterified pectin has a degree of esterification ranging from 60% to 30%, wherein the de-esterified pectin has a molecular weight greater than the molecular weight of a de-esterified pectin prepared by acid or alkali hydrolysis of the starting pectin material and wherein the de-esterified pectin is characterized by a ratio, R, of the molecular weight of the starting pectin material to the molecular weight of the de-esterified pectin, of up to 1.15, and contacting the de-esterified pectin with ammonia to produce an amidated pectin, wherein the amidated pectin is characterized by having a ratio, R2, of intrinsic viscosity of the de-esterified pectin material to the intrinsic viscosity of the amidated de-esterified pectin ranging from 1.01 to 1.15.