Disclosed is a use of alternan as a thickening agent for a foodstuff selected from sauces, meat juices, soups, dressings, dips, milk products, such as yoghurt, drinking yoghurt, cream, full-fat milk, skimmed milk, buttermilk, sour milk, kefir, whey, mousse, jelly, pudding, spreads, jam, ice cream, bakery products and doughs. Also disclosed is a method of increasing the viscosity of foodstuffs, foodstuff starting products or foodstuff intermediates, in which a thickening agent composition comprising alternan and at least one other thickening agent selected from the group consisting of starch, starch derivatives, modified starches, starch phosphates, pectins, modified pectins, alginic acid, alginates, guar flour, tragacanth, gum arabic, gelatin, carob-seed flour, galactomannan, xanthan, carrageen, karaya gum, tara gum, tamarind gum, gellan gum, mannan, maltodextrins, cellulose, derivatized cellulose, dextran and mixtures of two or more of these substances is added to the foodstuff, foodstuff starting product or foodstuff intermediate.
