Pectin
UniPECTINE® solutions - Uniquely perfected for you
Sourced from citrus peels and apple pomace, pectin holds label-friendly appeal for a wide range of applications. Pectin is commonly used as a thickener, gelling agent and stabilizer in many food applications, most of them fruit-based by nature.
Pectin holds widespread consumer recognition by evoking memories of homemade jams and jellies “like grandma made.” Pectin also plays into key consumer trends such as sugar reduction, plant-based formulation, label-friendliness, and sustainability.
Pectin, your solution to on-trend products
Innovation with pectin is still on the rise. Between 2023 and 2025 there were 6.1% more product launches with pectins in Europe. Pectin is most used in new food & beverage product launches such as jams & fruit spreads, ice cream & desserts, dairy and bakery applications. Pectin inclusion is highest in new product launches that pack claims around ‘vegan/ vegetarian’, ‘label-friendly’, ‘free from’ and ‘indulgence’, illustrating the versatility and benefits pectin can bring to a wide range of products..
Pectin is a familiar texturizer with a positive health perception*, which helps to explain why it is such a popular go-to-solution for many food & beverage manufacturers.
New product launches in food & beverages containing pectin witnessed a 6.1% growth between 2023 and 2025 in Europe**.
Sources: *Cargill IngredienTracker™, Europe, 2025, **Innova Market Insights, Europe, 2023-2025
Cargill's pectin offering
Pectin is a popular texturizing solution in the Cargill label-friendly toolbox. Our passionate teams always start from the full recipe and go above and beyond to ensure our UniPECTINE® solutions are helping to meet your unique formulation and texture needs. That explains our wide range of solutions, covering both HM, LMA and LMC pectins.
Whether you are looking for specific gelation, setting speed, viscosity, mouthfeel or stabilization, there is a UniPECTINE® solution that has undergone extensive testing and will help to deliver an outstanding consumer product.
Our broad pectin portfolio is standardized by application:
Innovating to meet your needs
At Cargill, we continue to innovate to ensure you can continue to win in your markets. We continuously benchmark our portfolio and performance versus the market, customer needs, regulation and new emerging trends. This can help us identify opportunities on the scale and quality of our plant network, on our product portfolio and/or on how we source & produce our pectins.
Plant network
Cargill's production facilities are among the most advanced in the world. Highly sophisticated manufacturing processes are employed to ensure a fast and flexible response to customer requirements. Thanks to the recent addition of our facility in Brazil, Cargill has strengthened its position as a reliable supplier of pectin.
Cargill manufactures pectin in Europe at the following locations:
Product portfolio innovation
By listening to your needs in an evolving market, and staying on top of changing regulatory requirements, we’ve developed a new high performance, label-friendly pectin range that enables you to market cost-effective, high-quality, on-trend products.
UniPECTINE® LMCPlus pectins that set a new standard for high fruit/low sugars applications and are suitable for use in jams, jellies, fruit spreads & bakery fillings.
These pectins have controlled calcium reactivity and strong gel-forming performance to help keep desired texture and sensory qualities even as fruit content increases and natural calcium levels fluctuate. These pectins enable cleaner labeling versus LMA pectins, are suited for both conventional, low sugar and organic formulations and offer potential cost benefits versus standard LMC pectins.
Sustainable sourcing & production
At Cargill, we are working to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way and drive positive change across our supply chains. This includes supporting the creation of a more sustainable pectin supply chain and more sustainable production.
Our factories are designed with sustainability in mind, promoting responsible production and sourcing practices. As an example, at our advanced plant in Malchin we are tackling waste reduction head-on by partnering with a local biomass facility. By utilizing citrus waste from our plant, we can generate renewable steam, securing a more sustainable energy source while minimizing environmental impact.
Hero products for winning propositions
More information
Definitions & Use
Pectin types are defined by their gelation system, with each type having its own functionalities and properties. Sugar, acid and calcium are the three pectin gelling agents.
Generally, you will use these types in these applications:
- High-methoxyl (HM) pectins: jams & jelly, yoghurt, yoghurt drinks, fruit preparations for dairy, beverages and sugar confectionery.
- Low-methoxyl amidated pectins (LMA) pectins: fruit spreads, lower sugar jams, fruit preparations for dairy, water jelly, glazes and post-bake bakery filings.
- Low-methoxyl conventional pectins (LMC) pectins: Bake-stable fruit fillings for bakery, fruit spreads and organic & lower sugar jams and fruit preparations for dairy.
Regulatory status
Pectin is generally regarded as a safe food substance. Its composition and use is regulated under food additive law in the EU, and it is GRAS in the USA. It is also included in the International Codex Alimentarius. Particular references include:
FAO/WHO - Codex Alimentarius
Pectins have been given an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of "not specified" by the FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), and are listed on that basis in the Codex General Standard for Food Additives.
European Union
In EU, Pectin as E 440 (i) and Amidated Pectin E 440 (ii) have not been given an ADI, as assessed in 2017 by the European Food Safety Authority. The purity criteria for both additives are laid down in EU Commission Regulation (EU)/231/2012. The use of pectin in most food categories comes with a “quantum satis”, but for some foods restrictions may be applicable. Detailed information can be found in Annex II of Commission Regulation (EC)/1333/2008.
Manufacture
Cargill started its pectin production of HM pectins in 1948 and of LM pectins in 1965.
The manufacturing of pectin in all its varieties requires a high level of production expertise. Raw material selection, production processes, formulation know-how and quality management are all key areas of expertise supported by Cargill's research and application centers.