The Composition and Application of Xanthan Gum

1. The Composition of Xanthan Gum

Xanthan gum is a pentasaccharide repeating unit structure polymer composed of D-glucose, D-mannose, D-glucuronic acid, acetic acid, and pyruvate. The molar ratio of glucose, mannose, and glucuronic acid in xanthan gum is 2.8:3.0:2.0.  As for the obtaining of xanthan gum, it is a relatively complicated process. Firstly, the fermentation medium containing sugars (such as glucose, sucrose, starch, hydrolyzed starch) will be needed to be fermented by Xanthomonas campestris strains in the presence of a suitable nitrogen source, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, and appropriate trace elements. Then, the processes of post-extraction, drying, crushing, and other procedures will be needed to be conducted to eventually obtain xanthan gum.

2. The Xanthan Gum Application

As for the characteristics of xanthan gum, it is tasteless, odorless, non-toxic, safe to eat, and easily soluble in water. It becomes polyanions in an aqueous solution and has unique physical and chemical properties. As for xanthan gum application, it is mainly used as a thickener in industrial production, but also as a suspending agent, emulsifier, and stabilizer. So far, xanthan gum is widely considered to be the most superior biological glue in the world, and it has been widely used in food, fruit juice, beverage, feed, cosmetics, medicine, ceramics, fire fighting, petroleum, and other industries. Its market growth potential exceeds that of all hydrophilic glues. Click for more info about uses of xanthan gum in food industry, xanthan gum cosmetics.

Up to now, xanthan gum has been accepted by many countries as a food additive. It has become an important stabilizer, suspending agent, emulsifier, thickener, binder, and processing raw material with high added value and high quality in various fields as beverages, cakes, jelly, canned food, seafood, and meat products processing.