You will say “delicious to the heart” when you taste the texture of the cake is soft and easy to swallow. You may wonder why the cake can be so soft and fluffy. Meanwhile, the same product from a different brand doesn’t have that soft texture. There is a texture controller effect in that cake dough. The effect comes from CMC or carboxymethyl cellulose mixed into the dough by the patissier.

The baking experts use this cellulose because it is water-soluble and has all the functions a dough needs to form a cake that is chewy, stable, and has a delicious taste that lasts until the last bite.

Dought Without Texture Controller

You may have eaten a cake that looks delicious and visually attractive with whipped cream, toppings, and adorable packaging but has a taste beyond expectation. Too much sweetness or too little unevenness. Then, when bitten it feels so hard with a dough with different textures from side to side. After you finish the last chew, you will only get discomfort in the throat that lingers even until you drink water.

These are some signs that the cake is made without mixing any texture controller into the dough. It’s not a matter of cheap or expensive CMS, but maybe the baker doesn’t know for sure the benefits of CMC as a texture controller.

The Second World War That Already Knew Carboxymethyl Cellulose 

If you have no idea about what CMC as a texture controller is, then you have to re-open your mind about the history. You can look for it on the internet or in the library.

CMC’s inventor initially used this texture controller as a natural gum substitute. This event took place at the end of the First World War. Gum is a latex product that comes from stem legumes. The sap or resin will be tapped in such a way that it has sufficient thickening texture. Gum serves as a food adhesive or emulsifier. In addition, gum can be beneficial for the body as well as fiber.

Gum can smooth the digestive tract because of its lots of fiber, helps smooth bowel movements, and reduces disease bacteria in the intestines. Natural gums are pretty much available in nature, but people will have a hard time getting these natural gums. Then, gums are made as a substitute for natural gums derived from CMC. After that, the new CMC was mass-produced during the second world war.

Commercial Product CMC

CMC as a texture controller has been mass-produced and is recognized as a safe multipurpose food material (Generally Recognized As Safe/GRAS). this is based on FDA (Food and Drug Administration of USA) regulations. This mass production makes the use of CMC more widespread.

There are many application areas of CMC in the food industry because of its benefits such as:

• Texture Controller to make your tortilla pliable and longer shelf life.
• The frozen dough needs CMC as a substitute for wheat flour.
• You can be relieved to eat fried foods with CMC in it. CMC can improve texture and reduce oil absorption in fried products.
• Cookies as baked foods need a CMC spread controller. The taste and texture of cookies we know will be preserved until the last crumb.
• Not only does it work as a texture controller, but CMC in gluten-free bread and cakes can also help improve the taste in the mouth.

CMC in Your Eye Drops

CMC is an odorless, non-toxic, easily disintegrated, hygroscopic, white to yellowish cellulose polymer ether. The fat component in the cake to form a stable elasticity can be assisted by CMC. Likewise with ice cream where this cold and creamy product doesn’t need very low temperatures if there is CMC in it.

You can also find CMC in eye drops prescribed by a doctor. One type of eye drop that is generally used to help relieve irritation and treat dry eyes is carboxymethyl cellulose sodium. This is a limited over-the-counter (OCT) drug class that can be used by different people depending on the severity of the disease and indications for use. The soft, not too runny, and not too thick texture of these eye drops with the CMC texture controller can be given according to the general recommended dosage.

For adults, the dose given is around 1 to 2 drops in the eye that is irritated or dry. Meanwhile, for more severe complaints, this carboxymethyl cellulose sodium drug can be dripped 3 to 4 times a day or according to the rules for use that the doctor recommends.

4 Important Things About Carboxymethyl Cellulose Sodium Eye Drops

There are a number of things you should pay attention to while using carboxymethyl cellulose sodium eye drops such as:

• Give a break of about 5 minutes between the use of carboxymethyl cellulose sodium and other eye medicines. The risk of interactions between drugs may occur so that they can change how the drug works and cause the drug to not work properly. Ask your doctor about the materials of other drugs you are using and what the potential reactions are if they are used together with these eye drops.
• Always consult with your doctor first if you are a pregnant woman or a nursing mother who wants to use this drug.
• If you are a contact lens user, remove contact lenses before using carboxymethyl cellulose sodium. You can pause for about 10 minutes and then use it again after these eye drops.
• If you have a history of hypersensitivity to drug materials, you should avoid using this drug and consult other drug alternatives.

You can also find good and pleasant textures from CMC in the toothpaste you buy at the pharmacy, diet pills you take regularly, paper products you use every day, and paint that coats the walls of your home. Without this texture controller, all the products you use will quickly come off because of the discomfort they provide such as too rough, too runny, too hard, and oily or greasy.