Pectin fibers

A process for making a polyvalent cation crosslinked pectin fiber composition comprising

• a) dissolving in water either a low methoxyl calcium sensitive pectin having a DE of less than 15% or an amidated calcium sensitive pectin having a DE of less than 50% and each pectin has a molecular weight with an upper limit of 200,000 and a lower limit of 5,000;
• b) passing the dissolved pectin through a spinneret into a polyvalent cation coagulation bath comprising water and a polyvalent cation, where the polyvalent cation concentration in the bath is set at either a sufficiently high level such that the density of the polyvalent cation solution bath is significantly greater than the density of the pectin solution so that the pectin fibers formed float to top of the bath, or at a sufficiently low level such that the density of the polyvalent cation solution both is significantly lesser than the density of the pectin solution so that the pectin fibers formed sink to the bottom of the bath;
• and
• c) removing the wet pectin fiber, either from the top or bottom of the coagulation bath depending on the density of the bath and drying the pectin fibers.