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10 Facts about Xanthan Gum, a very popular food additive

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Have you heard of xanthan gum, one of the 30 most popular ingredients used in food products? You’ll find it in salad dressings, sauces, ice cream and also gluten free foods. What is xanthan gum, and why is it such a popular ingredient?

What you need to know:

1. Xanthan Gum is made by fermenting corn sugar with a bacteria, Xanthomonas campestris. It’s the same bacteria that creates black spots on broccoli and cauliflower. The result is a slimy goo that is then dried up and ground into a fine white powder.

2. Xanthan gum is an emulsifier. It helps ingredients blend more effectively and stay blended while waiting on a shelf. For example – water and oil mixtures, as well as bits of spice in a salad dressing.

3. Xanthan gum is also used as a thickener. Add a bit to water and it becomes more viscous. Many fat free salad dressing maintain and oily visosity by using thickeners such as xanthan gum. In pastry fillings, it prevents the water seeping out and soaking the dough, thus protecting the crispness of the crust.

4. Xanthan gum is used in ice creams as well to prevent the formation of ice crystals and keep the product “smooth”.

5. Xanthan gum has become popular in the gluten free circles. It helps give the dough a sticky consistency.

6. Only a small amount of xanthan gum is necessary to achieve the desired result, usually less than 0.5% of the food product weight.

7. When mixed with guar gum or locust bean gum, the viscosity is more than when either one is used alone, so less of each can be used.

8. Nutritionally, xanthan gum is a carbohydrate with 7 grams of fiber per tablespoon. This may cause bloating in some people.

9. Xanthan gum may be derived from a variety of sources such as corn, wheat, or soy.  People with an allergy to one of the above, need to avoid foods with xanthan gum, or to ascertain the source.

10. Xanthan Gum was “discovered” by a team of USDA researchers in the 1960′s. In 1968 it was approved for use as a food additive in the US and Europe.

What to do at the supermarket:

So is Xanthan Gum safe to consume or not?  It’s perfectly safe to consume if you don’t have any allergy issues as mentioned above. However, most people wouldn’t prepare a salad dressing at home with xanthan gum, nor add it to a pastry filling. When you see xanthan gum labeled on products at the supermarket, you realize that you are buying an industrial processed product. In this case the health/nutrition consequences are minimal, but check what other, more sinister additives are lurking in the product as well.

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  • http://foodtrainers.blogspot.com Lauren Slayton

    Ooh and what are Fooducate’s thoughts on xantham gum? I’m craving a bottom line.
    Interesting info.

  • Nicole

    So, if one is trying to avoid corn (to avoid GMO corn & the like)then we need to also avoid this in our food. Lovely. Yet another ingredient to look out for. I am buying less packaged food nowadays anyway, but geez… this will shrink the list again.

    • Laurel Cox

      I am struggling too! I cant find any organic salad dressings with out xanthan gum in there. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks for any suggestions.

      • cheetah

        make your own

  • http://landanimal.wordpress.com Joanna @ landanimal.wordpress.com

    I try to eat clean and natural–for what it and those terms are worth–and this stuff just doesn’t sound good to me.

  • http://killgiada.blogspot.com APC

    Oh wow, I had no idea it was a ferment! Or even from relatively organic sources. I always thought it was one of those molecular gastronomy ingredients from the future. Musta been the ‘X’ =P

  • http://www.nibblesnbites.com Scraps

    I’ve used this recently for making my own ice cream and the texture it adds is actually really nice (and, yes, it says right on the package what it’s origin is). In the ice cream it’s great, but the slimy texture of the fat-free salad dressing (an accidental purchase–never again!) is very unpleasant.

  • Melissa

    Interesting. But few other products help keep gluten-free baked goods from crumbling. And because I’ve had to give up so many foods since being diagnosed with Celiac disease, I won’t lose too much sleep over using this product — even though that first fact is kinda nasty.

  • http://www.lovehealthyliving.net Carrie

    Yeah, so is it good or bad? Inquiring minds want to know! :)

    • Inge

       I just saw a cake being made where xantham gum was added. My question is can you bake the cake without adding this ingredient?

      • Teresa

        From what I’ve seen, most — if not all — cake mixes include xanthan gum. The only way to make a cake without it is to bake from scratch.

        On the upside — there’s just no way a cake mix can compare with the real thing for taste. Top it with Seven Minute Frosting and people will rave about your cakes for years to come:

        I got this from an 1960s Betty Crocker cookbook, but you can also find it here:
        http://allrecipes.com/recipe/seven-minute-frosting-ii-2/

        • http://www.facebook.com/coolhandmeg Megan Leonard

          I know the idea of xanthan gum and its origin seems kind of gross, but I’m trying to follow a paleo diet and cut out all grains — for health, not due to any type of gluten intolerance. I miss toast with my eggs, so I’ve been trying to come up with a substitute using almond or coconut flour. I just tried xanthan gum in a recipe this weekend and was amazed with the sticky consistency of the dough. Its addition made the recipe much more like a yeast dough, and a crispier toast in the end. You can definitely see how the gum works as a wheat gluten substitute, though I realize some people are also sensitive to this substance. For those who aren’t, I think it’s a very valuable tool in grain-free baking. You also only have to use a tablespoon or less per loaf, so I wouldn’t be too scared off from it. I’ve bought some arrowroot and guar gum to try as well, but xanthan gum was less expensive and the first one I tried. I was really impressed.

          • http://www.fooducate.com/ Fooducate

            Thanks for that interesting advice Megan!

        • Nikki

          for some of us diagnosed with Celiac, baking a traditional cake from scratch and eating it is impossible. since gluten is found in wheat, rye, and barley, we need substitutions for those ingredients. Xanthan gum makes the dough, or batter, act like it has gluten in it by keeping it’s shape and rising in the oven

          • Lori

            Unfortunately, we can’t just go by symptoms anymore when it comes to gluten intolerance. In fact, those people who have symptoms (i.e. sensitivity or worse) may be the lucky ones, because they have a great reason to stop all gluten. Hidden health risks to gluten ingestion can include neurological issues — like MS (multiple sclerosis), which very few people know about. As for Xanthum Gum, I had no idea it could be GMO until I went to an event for “Yes on Prop 37.” I am going to see if I can find GMO-free Xanthum Gum for the rare occasions that I make my homemade gluten cupcakes. I was using Xanthum Gum from Authentic Foods, but now I’m realizing that I have no idea what their source is! That may explain why I’d feel less than perfect after eating my cupcakes. Although, I thought maybe it was because I ate too many, because they were so good. In the meantime, I’ve now discovered that Whole Foods almond milk has xanthum gum in it, and so does Pacific foods Hemp milk. Both of which I was drinking. Now that I know that carrageenan, which is in many of the other nut milk products, might cause digestive issues and cancer, I’m going to have to rethink. The investigation continues.

          • Mel

            Actually, xanthan gum should not be considered GMO. The bacteria, Xanthomonas campestris, ferments a sugar, usually glucose, fructose or lactose, into a larger polysaccharide (carbohydrate) product. This bacteria is not genetically modified. The glucose or sucrose substrate may be from GM corn or wheat, but structurally and chemically is the same as glucose or sucrose from non-GM corn or wheat. The glucose is purified and isolated from the original corn or wheat kernels and does not contain any DNA or protein residues. Compare xanthan gum production to your own body synthesizing ATP, the energy molecule for ALL of your cells. ATP is made from glucose. Glucose is the end product from digestion of carbohydrates in food that we eat. Your cells take up glucose and use it to synthesize ATP. What if the source of those food carbohydrates is from GM-corn or wheat or soy? Would you now say that your body’s ATP is GMO? Don’t think so. As far as using xanthan gum in food prep–the amounts used are very small. It has been used in many products for many years, with no harmful effects (based on scientific evidence, not anecdotal or opinion). I wouldn’t spend any more brainpower worrying about it :)

  • Jason

    So is the corn sugar mentioned here really HFCS?

    • Js777

      I wouldn’t think so, likely they are speaking of dextrose which is corn sugar/pure glucose.

  • Grant

    As a sufferer of Coeliac disease my diet would have less variety of taste and texture as it would be devoid of decent baked goods. Are we labelling this food bad just because it’s a sugar fermented by bacteria? Even done on an industrial scale? Do we classify natural yoghurt as bad for the same reason?

  • WF

    This article is slightly misleading if you think that xanthan gum is a type of modified corn sugar. The fact is, xanthan gum is simply a type of complex carbohydrate that this specific type of bacteria makes as it grows. The bacteria grows on a sugar source (it could any of a variety of simple sugars). As the organism grows, it metabolizes the simple sugar into a more complex form, which we know as xanthan gum.

    This bacteria makes xanthan gum in a similar way that humans consume sugars and make glycogen. Xanthan gum is a type of complex carb that is a storage form of energy for the bacteria, and it happens to have some interesting properties that have uses in foods.

  • candice

    Sweet, ths actually makes me want to go out and buy Xanthan gum for my pies and salad dressing. The article is a little vague on their position on the substance, but I think it’s purpose was to inform the readers, not pursuade either way. As consumers we have the right to know…we are just too lazy half the time to actually research for ourselves. Thanks Fooducate for all the leg work you do!!

    • karen

      ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE: Cheeses and buttermilk Penicillin is also derived from molds/fungi and is used to make antibiotics. It’s benefits far outweigh the risks for those who are not allergic to it. I think this is also similar to using Xanthan gum.

  • http://www.jollytomato.com Jeanne @JollyTomato

    Thanks for posting this – I know I (and many others) have always wondered about xanthan gum. I’ve seen a few recipes that call for it, but I don’t think I’d ever use enough to justify going out to buy a half-pound bag!

    FYI – I included it in Jolly Tomato’s Friday food news round-up: http://bit.ly/9TW6Ei

  • Lorraine

    Xanthan gum is NOT gluten free. Corn as well as ALL grains contain gluten protein in some form. Those who believe that some grains are gluten free are going by very old info. Dr. Peter Osborne is one of the few people in the gluten free community that knows and teaches that.

    http://www.glutenfreesociety.org/video-tutorial/gluten-sensitivity-what-is-it/

    • Marsha

      Corn doesn’t have gluten

    • Marsha

      Corn Gluten – Is it Safe for a People with Celiac Disease Who are on …
      http://www.celiac.com › Gluten-Free Grains and Flours
      Jul 26, 1996 – Corn may contain prolamins, as does wheat, but not gluten. … is like gluten prepared from a wheat flour dough, which has an unusual, perhaps …

    • Mel

      xanthan gum is a carbohydrate, gluten is a protein. Educate yourself before you speak.

      • Yummy Gummy!

        People can be wrong… including yourself… I’m sure we can inform each other respectfully!

  • Dwight

    I have ben having flu like symptoms that last 2 or 3 days about every week now I have
    found that it is the Xantan gum in the food that I eat that is making me sick.

    • Lauren

      Hi Dwight! Meeee too! This stuff is the devil! This is the third time I’ve gotten a cold(with major congestion, sore throat, chill,etc) right after eating foods with this stuff. Coconut ice-cream, This Chili sauce stuff, and cream of coconut. I thought I was the only one with thisccrazy reaction.

      • Eerie

        try eating yogurt after, it’s probably your body reacting to the substance due to it being a bacteria of sorts. The good bacterias in yogurt should counteract it :)

  • guest

    If I eat any foods with xanthan gum I get horrible migraine headaches. It makes me feel like I have been poisoned. My digestive tract totally stops working and I cannot keep anything down, even water. If you have migraines you might avoid this substance.

    • Teresa

      I’m also severely allergic to xanthan gum. For the last four years I was sure that gluten was the problem, and the reason I also reacted to so many foods that don’t list gluten on the label — vanilla ice cream, cream cheese — was because of the hidden gluten.

      I’ve been eating only low carb, gluten free, made from scratch cooking for a while now, but decided to try my hand at gluten free baking for Christmas. And got horribly sick. On the upside, I found out about the xanthan gum.

      One word of advice — xanthan gum and gar gum can be used interchangeably. So if you’re sensitive to xanthan, be careful of gar gum products too.

      • Mel

        Interesting! Have you found out what is is about xanthan gum that makes you allergic to it?

      • Lundy

        Just found your post, thank goodness. I have been having the digestive shutdown problem. As I work in engineering the issue with digestion could just be the mechanical thing I think, xg and other guns stabilise powders, fluids etc by absorbing some of the water, rather like adding glue. Unfortunately, if they do this in your gut, water that would normally help your normal digestive transit is used up in the process and constipation can result. I don’t know why they cause migraines but I do know others who mention this as a problem.

  • Goody

    Normally, people are allergic to the proteins of a substance. I’m violently allergic to thr protein in corn, but not the sugar.

  • jess

    Personally, I love the last sentence in this article…”….check what other, more sinister additives are lurking in the product..”. That statement makes me feel much better about the food that I buy at the market for my family to consume. Ack, no wonder we have a world full of ppl with ADHD and what not!!!!!

  • grannie

    I think that anything we eat can be made to SEEM bad, I am not getting what is bad except the gluten allergy thing. So what is the point of your article?

  • John

    Forgot to mention that xanthum gum is almost always GMO because it is made from corn sweetener or corn starch which are almost always GMO in the USA. So this material is always high GMO risk.

    • Mel

      See my post below to Lori. Not sure what you mean by “high GMO risk”? Sounds like a scare tactic. The sugars synthesized in corn are not genetically modified. Also, sugar is a molecule of mainly carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms in varying amounts and arrangements. There is no DNA, or genetic material, in the sugar.

      • Chemicalsfreefoodie

        Eating molecules? I don’t like the sound if that.

        • leila

          oh dear. i hope you’re joking. you *are* molecules. and you eat and breathe them every day.

  • ike

    It scares me to think all the junk we are eating . We should avoid all processed food as much as possible . The food industry is out to make a profit . We need to be very cautious of the junk they are trying to sell us . Our health depends on it.

  • zia

    unfortunately, if it isn’t organic, the corn sugar is gmo.

  • Lundy

    It is important that people understand that some adults and children are also sensitive to xantham gum because it causes bloating or constipation. Although this seems counterintuitive (it contains fibre) it is primarily a thickening agent and for this reason can slow digestive transit by absorbing water. I had terrible gut problems after committing to a completely gluten free diet and am now avoiding xg. But a, warning, it is everywhere! Toothpaste is a sneaky one..

  • Thomas DeWoody

    Slimy goo? Cut me a slice of that!

  • Keleia

    I have a Colophony Allergy, and Xanthan Gum is definitely one of the most frustrating things for me, because manufacturers put this in everything these days. I cannot chew gum, enjoy most drink mixes, cosmetics, etc. It just isn’t worth it for me to ingest or use makeup that has these ingredients. I must check labels and educate myself otherwise I suffer extreme allergic reactions. Great article, though!

  • http://www.facebook.com/jacqueline.adkins.7 Jacqueline Adkins

    I like to use it as a thickener for my homemade hand wash I use

  • T

    I avoid Xanthum Gum at all costs. I removed gluten, wheat, soy and corn to some degree, from my diet because of arthritis-type joint swelling. Xanthum Gum is in many processed food products, salad dressings and sauces, and it causes me the same serious joint swelling (knees in particular) as those ingredients I’d removed from my diet. I find that Corn Starch causes me the same problems – another common filler. Yes, it is common in many processed foods and manufacturers consider it filler and harmless. Not so.

  • Alyssa

    Thanks Fooducate, this is great information!

  • sb

    Xanthan gum can cause symptoms just like having eaten gluten. It’s gross, and I avoid it entirely. We call xanthan sensitivity “gummy tummy.”