Are you avoiding Gellan Gum or xanthan gum? There is no need. It’s a myth that these gums are high FODMAP. According to laboratory food testing by FODMAP Friendly both gellan gum and xanthan gum are low FODMAP.
What is Gellan Gum?
Gellan gum (or E418) is a versatile gelling agent that can produce a wide variety of textures varying from firm, brittle gels that crumble in the mouth, to fluid or elastic gels (depending on conditions & type used). It can also be used as a thickening, stabilising and suspending agent. It sets exceptionally fast at ambient temperatures and enables outstanding flavour release.
What is it?
It is derived from Sphingomonas elodea, a bacteria that grows on an aquatic plant.
It forms gels when combined with foods rich in calcium, magnesium or potassium (high positive ion content). Calcium rich dairy products, calcium chloride etc may also be needed to aid setting.
Types of gel achievable
1. Firm, brittle gel – Using low acyl gellan gum in very low concentrations – from just 0.1% – firm and brittle gels can be made. These gels are crystal clear, making them very appealing visually.
2. Fluid gel – By agitating low acyl gellan gum gels as they cool, fluid gels can be created. They have apparent low viscosity, yet have remarkable suspending properties, successfully suspending particles such as coloured spheres, herbs, and even gases.
3. Elastic gel – By incorporating high acyl gellan, a far more flexible result can be achieved. The resultant gel can be made into thin sheets that can be rolled or folded.
4. Spheres and strands – a pure, gellan gum solution can be dropped into an ion rich water solution to form gelled spheres or strands.
How should it be used?
As well as being heat stable, gellan gum is also stable over a wide pH range meaning it is suitable for use with many different foods. As with any molecular ingredient, experimentation is essential to achieve the desired effect.
What is Xanthan Gum?
Xanthan gum is produced in a very different way to guar gum, by using bacteria. The gum is produced whenXanthomonas campestris bacteria ferment carbohydrates (like sucrose or glucose) The sticky by-product created during the fermentation process, is then filtered and purified before being dried and ground into powder to form xanthan gum.
Why are these gums used in commercial products & baked goods?
These gums are magical powders to food manufacturers as their properties can help blend and thicken, as well as improve texture, making processed food products more pleasant to eat. Here’s what they do:
- They are emulsifiers . These gums help ingredients blend more effectively and stop ingredients from separating while waiting on the shelf. For example, these gums stop the ingredients in salad dressing from separating.
- They are thickening agents . When you add these gums to water they increase the viscosity (essentially they make the liquid thicker and slightly goopey). This is useful in commercial products like soups or pies that contain gravy, as it stops the water seeping out of the gravy and into the crust.
- They improve the texture of gluten free baking (. Gluten helps hold baking together, improves their ability to rise, and stops it from crumbling. These gums help to replace gluten and can stop your gluten free baking turning into a crumbly mess.
- They improve texture in frozen goods , by preventing the formation of ice crystals which gives the product a ‘smooth’ feeling when you eat it.
Final Thoughts
Both xanthan gum and gellan gum are safe to eat during the inital phase of the low FODMAP diet. So if your low FODMAP baking is crumbly or lacking texture, trying add xanthan gum or gellan gum to your next batch. Also don’t forget to check out FODMAP Friendly and learn more about their FODMAP food testing.
