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Chemical composition and origin
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is produced by treating natural cellulose with methyl chloride and propylene oxide. Cellulose, the basis of HPMC, is an organic compound found in the cell walls of plants, giving HPMC its plant origin. During the production process, hydroxypropyl and methyl groups are added to the cellulose chain. This chemical process improves the solubility of HPMC in cold water and increases its gelation temperature, making it particularly useful in applications requiring thermal stability.

Comparison with other thickeners
Compared to other thickeners such as gelatin, which is of animal origin, HPMC offers a crucial advantage: it is 100% vegetable. This not only makes HPMC suitable for vegetarians and vegans, but also offers significant advantages in terms of stability and shelf life. HPMC is less susceptible to microbial degradation than gelatin, which is especially important for nutritional supplements and medications that require storage in various climates and conditions. In addition, HPMC is resistant to pH fluctuations. While gelatin can break down or lose its effectiveness at different pH levels, HPMC maintains its stability over a wide pH range, making it an excellent choice for formulations that require consistent performance regardless of the acidic or basic conditions in which they are used .