Xanthan Gum

is a food additive that is primarily used to thicken, emulsify, and stabilize water-based foods. It helps things like salad dressings stay mixed, for instance. As a general rule, oil will try to pull away from other ingredients, particularly water, and the gum helps prevent this from happening. The additive also helps lend a smoother, creamier texture to certain foods, particularly ice cream. Fresh ice cream often has a really custard-like smooth taste, but this can be hard to maintain after a lot of time in a deep freeze; the gum can help preserve a lot of the smoothness and can help the ingredients resist becoming crumbly or dry. The additive is also effective as a general binding agent, and is often a really popular choice for gluten-free foods like breads that might be prone to disintegrating without the stickiness of gluten molecules to hold them together. Most food safety organizations and oversight committees have found the additive to be safe, particularly if used only in small quantities. There are some people who are allergic to it, though, and in rare cases there have been some adverse reactions.

As an Emulsifier
One of the gum’s most common uses is as an emulsifier, which basically means that it helps keep liquids from separating and pulling apart. In salad dressings, sauces, and condiments, for instance, it helps decrease the separation of oils, keeping the product well mixed while in the jar or bottle. As a result, all of the ingredients are held in a sort of suspension, and the customer doesn’t have to re-blend or shake things before use.
As a Thickening and Smoothing Agent
The same qualities that make xanthan gum a good emulsifier also make it a good thickener, of liquids and solids both. When something like salad dressing is shaken or agitated, it tends to thin out, making it easier to pour. This process is called pseudoplasticity. After the product has been poured and is allowed to rest, the gum helps it begins to thicken again slightly. Among other things, this helps it adhere to the food on which it’s been poured.
In frozen foods, xanthan gum creates the palatable feel of the food to the mouth. Along with guar gum and locust bean gum, it helps create the smooth texture of ice creams. It is also used to replace the fatty texture of egg yolks in many egg substitutes.
Improving Dough Cohesion
The additive is frequently also used as an addition to gluten-free flour, and can improve the overall quality of baked goods that are used with it. Gluten is a molecule most commonly found in wheat, and it is by nature a strong binding agent — it’s what gives most breads and baked goods their springy, chewy texture. Omitting gluten, which is all but essential for people who are allergic to wheat or prefer gluten-free products for dietary reasons, can leave many baked goods tasting dry and cooking poorly. Adding the gum to make up for the lost gluten can make a big difference.
How It’s Made
From a chemical perspective, the gum is a polysaccharide gum, or three-chain sugar compound, and it is created through the fermentation of the bacteria Xanthomonas campestris with glucoseand, in some cases, sucrose, both of which are naturally occurring sugars. It is also sometimes called corn sugar, particularly on ingredient labels. This additive is very stable at a wide variety of temperatures and pH levels.
It was discovered by chemist Allene Rosalind Jeanes at the United States Department of Agriculture, and was first approved for use in foods in 1968 after going through rigorous testing for toxicity. In the United States, Canada, Europe, and many other countries, it is considered to be safe for human consumption, and it is permitted as an “approved” additive in a range of different foods. It is very effective in small quantities and usually makes up only 0.5% to 1% of the total ingredients in any given product.
Safety Concerns
Xanthan gum is a natural carbohydrate that is not absorbed into the body, so it often raises less controversy than other more chemically-based food additives. Many people still want to avoid this and other additives as a way of returning to natural foods or looking for more nature-based alternatives, though. Some people with food allergies may also be sensitive to the product, and in rare cases it has been linked to headaches, stomach pain, and diarrhea. Other "gums," such as guar gum, carrageenan, and locust bean gum, can often be substituted, though these usually come with their own sets of pros and cons.
Xanthan gum is a common food binder available for purchase at grocery stores in the form of an inconspicuous white powder. As the term “gum” implies, xanthan gum gives items such as gluten free bread some of the texture and consistency that we’re all familiar with from our non-gluten free days. It provides some of that natural gumminess inherent to gluten in products without it.
This ingredient becomes even more important when you remove other binders, such as eggs, when making gluten free products vegan. Sounds like xanthan gum is a good thing, right? Not so fast…
The Dark Side of Xanthan Gum
Most people have no idea what xanthan gum is made from. Granted, the pure white powder doesn’t sound any alarms. It’s easy to confuse it with some of the other “white powders” we’re used to adding to baking mixes. And frankly, when I ate a lot of gluten free baked goods and breads, I didn’t necessarily care in the beginning what each ingredient was and where it came from. I just wanted to eat something similar to what I was used to before going gluten free.
To be clear, xanthan gum is a food additive approved for use in the USA in 1968 and is pervasive in the gluten free food category. It’s actually pretty difficult to find products without it (and that includes items outside of food such as shampoos and other beauty products). When mixed with some of the other gums, such as locust or guar gum, the result is an even better binder which explains why they are often used together in products.
The question few ask though is how xanthan gum is produced so that this common white powder has the power to make ingredients bind together as effectively as it does. The journey to your plate all starts with a lovely strain of bacteria known as Xanthomonas Campestris which in the world of Botany is responsible for producing what’s known as Black Rot on vegetables of the cruciferous family (ie. cauliflower, broccoli, kale).
Yes, Black Rot… it sounds awful and it is for plants that become infected. As you can see here in a picture that I personally took of of my cauliflower plants attacked by Black Rot during the summer of 2013. I couldn’t save them and lost the entire crop after a summer’s worth of hard work.
Xanthan Gum Made From
To be clear, xanthan gum isn’t black rot. However I’ll leave it up to you whether you feel comfortable eating it from here on out.
The action of the bacteria produces black rot or a slimy gel depending on where it is applied. In the case of producing xanthan gum, Xanthomonas campestris is applied to some sort of starchy material (ie. corn, wheat, dairy or soy) and ferments it to produce a slimy, indigestible polysaccaride (a string of multiple glucose molecules) substance. This slimy material is then further refined, dried and milled into the white powder we know as xanthan gum.
Before we go further, you may have questions about whether the original starch would cause any reactivity in humans who are sensitive to those particular foods — corn, soy, dairy or wheat (which is most important to all of us here). It appears that there have been very few studies conducted on humans about the safety of xanthan gum according to the research provide by Chris Kresser.
Another question is whether xanthan gum is made from source materials (ie. corn and soy) that are GMO (genetically modified organisms). For those who do their best to avoid consuming those GMO crops, that would mean nixing xanthan gum off your list unless it’s certified as organic.
However it’s been noted on several sites, including that of Bob’s Red Mill, that folks with a corn or soy allergy may want to avoid xanthan gum produced from those starches since there’s no guarantee that it’s free from those allergens. Their particular product is produced on wheat starch which lacks the portion of wheat containing gluten (but makes me wonder about safety for those with an actual wheat allergy). With the FDA regulations now, I would assume they actually test their gluten free products to fall under 20 ppm.
Side Effects of Xanthan Gum
As you may already know, everything in nature can cause side effects that vary from person to person. Xanthan gum is no different and can cause issues for people. According to WebMD, it’s contraindicated to consume it in large quantities (over 15 grams per day) which is difficult considering how little one uses in a large recipe. It may also interfere with diabetic medication, causing blood sugar levels to drop too low. And xanthan gum is listed as a “bulk-forming laxative” which can cause problems such as nausea, vomiting and hard stools to name a few.
And it is possible to develop a sensitivity to xanthan gum just as you would to other foods. If you find that you’re still reacting to food that’s labeled gluten free, remember that other food intolerances are possible and can sometime mimic the symptoms of getting glutened. Leaky Gut Syndrome is a big reason why folks may find themselves adding more foods to the “NO” list. There is plenty of anecdotal accounts all over the web from people who react to xanthan gum.
If you follow my work here at Gluten Free School, you know I’m a fan of eating real food. By doing so, you reduce your exposure to wacky ingredients such as xanthan gum. It’s not to say that you can’t ever indulge in a gluten free baked good or a slice of gluten free bread, but ask yourself if you feel comfortable doing so all the time now that you know what it is.
I recognize that some people may not care while others, like me, absolutely will. We are each responsible for tending to our own health. The decision you make rests entirely on your shoulders.
If you bake, you can replace xanthan gum with guar gum which is derived from the guar bean. And you could also search on Google for the paleo version of the baked good you’re hoping to make. Even if you don’t eat paleo, you’ll at least end up with a recipe that’s focused solely on real food over a gluten free recipe comprised of 20+ ingredients (like xanthan gum).
I’d also suggest contacting companies with products you love and let them know that you’re not comfortable with their choice of binder. If they receive enough complaints, they may very well reformulate the product without it.
I’ll certainly follow up with another article looking at some of the other gums in the future, so please stay tuned!