Gellan Gum

Gellan gum is a water-soluble anionic polysaccharide produced by the bacterium Sphingomonas elodea.

Uses

Gellan is most often used in molecular gastronomy to create unique textures that can be served hot and to create a variety of fluid gel textures.

As a food additive, gellan gum was first approved for food use in Japan (1988). Gellan gum has subsequently been approved for food, non-food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses by many other countries such as US, Canada, China, Korea and the European Union etc. It is widely used as a thickener, emulsifier, and stabilizer. It has E number E418. It was an integral part of the now defunct Orbitz soft drink. It is used as the gelling agent, as an alternative to gelatin, in the manufacture of vegan varieties of “gum” candies.
It is used in plant-based milks to keep plant protein suspended in the milk. Gellan gum is listed as an ingredient in the soy milk Soylent 2.0. Gellan has also become popular in haute cuisine, and in particular in molecular gastronomy and other scientifically-informed schools of cooking, to make flavorful gels; British chef Heston Blumenthal and American chef Wylie Dufresne are generally considered to be the earliest chefs to incorporate gellan into high-end restaurant cooking, but other chefs have since adopted the innovation.Gellan gum, when properly hydrated, can be used in ice cream and sorbet recipes that behave as a fluid gel after churning.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not given gellan gum the Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) status, but it approves its use in foods ^[4]. Gellan gum has “ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) not specified” status by JECFA ^[5], meaning toxicity at any amount has not been reported. Excessive intake may cause abdominal bloating, excessive gas (flatulence), loose stools or diarrhea.Gellan gum produced from whey is not vegan, but the one produced from cornstarch is.

N/A

GELRITE, Nanogel-TC,”Gelrich” Grovgel, AppliedGel or Phytagel