Use of food grade gum as additive is extensively used in the food and hospitality industry. One of the aspects of the gum is high stability.
Basically it is a food additive and the use of this additive is meant for stabilizing the foods that are water based. Use of the gum in food and hospitality industry is quite extensive. Whether it is salad dressing, ice cream, frozen foods, sauces or condiments, food gum is used as additive in all cases.
Gluten Free Baking Products
It is also used in different gluten free baking products.
Addition of this food grade gum helps food containing oil to stay mixed.
A lot of foods get smooth texture with its use.
For certain food ingredients the gum works as binding component
Its Features:
Some of the basic features of Xanthan gum are as follows.
It is a polysaccharide gum.
A compound that contains 3-chain sugar.
The gum is manufactured by way of fermenting specific bacteria that is called Xanthomonas campestris using glucose or sucrose.
Best advantage of this is that it is extremely stable despite variation in temperature as well as at PH levels.
Evolution
Over the years it has evolved continually. Discovered by Allene Rosalind Jeanes it was finally approved for use in 1968. In many countries that include Canada besides United States and Europe, it is considered to be one of the safest additives. One of the basic advantages of using this food additive is that it helps the products to thin out that will make it easier to pour, called the process of pseudoplasticity.
Frozen foods
In case of frozen foods, the work of gum is to create a palatable test even if the food normally loses its natural test when frozen. For instance; when the texture of ice cream is concerned, it can be enhanced using Xanthan gum in combination with guar and locust gum. In various food items the gum is also used to replace fatty textures produced by components like egg yolks.
Preventive for Wheat Allergy
One of the best uses of gum is that it is very good for prevention of wheat allergy. At the same time it also helps those that like to have gluten free products and wheat. As food additive the basic task that of Xanthan gum is that it will remove the sticky consistencies in the food products.
Is safe?
A million dollar question for the user is that whether this gum is safe as a food additive. Prospective users will have peace of mind learning that Xanthan is safe since it is natural carbohydrate and is not absorbed in human anatomy. In only a few cases the allergic people may develop headache, stomach pain or diarrhea.
Overall; the beneficial effects of this as food additive are far greater in comparison to a few downsides that can be easily ignored by prospective users. That is why you will find its extensive use all over the world and in most of the factory produced processed food. And when it comes to health hazards created by the food additive, not many adverse reports have surfaced till date that will dampen the spirit of using Xanthan gum.