What is gellan gum? Why is it needed? We will answer these and other questions in the article. This substance (food supplement E 418) was created as a cheap substitute for plant gum. In the process of application, outlandish qualities were discovered that opened up great technological opportunities, primarily for manufacturers of confectionery and soft drinks.
Type of substance
Gellan gum - the basic name of a food supplement, fixed by GOST 33310-2015. The international name is Gellan gum. As part of a Chinese manufacturer’s provisions, a food supplement may often be referred to as “mushroom gum”.
It is known that dietary supplement E 418 is a highly effective thickening agent and gelling agent. According to its chemical structure, it qualifies as a biopolymer. The product is made in two forms, affecting the parameters of the resulting mass:
- low acylated gum (LA): forms a gel with a brittle, dense structure;
- Gellan gum highly acylated (HA): creates an elastic jelly with a soft texture, contains acyl (fragments of organic acids), more often it is a thickener.
In the process of development, two species can be mixed with each other and with other hydrocolloid substances to obtain the desired texture of the product.
Getting
Gellan gum is the result of the metabolism of specific bacteria Sphingomonas elodea. Microbes are cultivated in a carbon-containing nitrogen medium (in most cases, on the extraction of sugar production), enriched with inorganic and organic phosphorus. Fermentation produces a viscous broth. From it, pasteurization is used to extract gum in its natural HA form. If you need to get a low acylated gum, acyl groups eliminate alkali. Admixture E 418, depending on the configuration, is classified as semi-synthetic or natural product.
The properties
Still, gellan gum - what is it? This substance has a white color (a yellowish tint is allowed), is made in the form of a powder and has no smell and taste. It contains glucose monomers, glucuronic acid.
This food supplement is perfectly soluble in hot and cold water, insoluble in organic liquids, its density has not been determined. It is thermostable, resistant to pH modification. The content of the basic substance is not less than 85%.
Packaging
Food supplement E 418 is transported in paper multilayer bags and coiled drums with a polymer inner lining. Typical volume - 25 kg. Save the product away from heat sources in a dry place.
Application
What is the use of gellan gum? It is known that the food industry is the basic consumer of the E 418 gelling agent. The exclusiveness of this food additive lies in its ability to form both brittle and elastic structures. With a small concentration (0.5%), the substance creates stable jellies, which has a positive effect on rationalizing production and reducing the selling price of the finished product.
The downside of gellan is his tendency to syneresis. That is why the additive E 418, as a rule, is used in combination with other colloidal materials. The impurity has a wide range of useful technological properties that open up great opportunities for manufacturers of food products:
- Greater pseudo-plasticity. It operates in the manufacture of milk and juice drinks, yoghurts, including those with different toppings (cereals, berries). The additive saves suspensions, at rest it has a viscous consistency, but when the liquid is agitated, it becomes fluid.
- Thermostability is used in the development of fillings for ice-cream preparations (pies, pancakes). When heated in microwave and ovens, the filler does not melt.
- Resistance to freezing and thawing: gellan is a part of popsicle and ice cream desserts.
- The ability to create strong, almost non-falling gels with a small dosage. Confectionery manufacturers apply for application on vertical (side) surfaces.
- Preservation of juiciness, appearance, aroma and taste of the product. Add to gelling spicy fillings for fish, vegetable, meat dishes. In the manufacture of chewing sweets, marshmallows, marmalade, the use of additive E 418 enhances the effect of gelatin and identical agents, allows you to store products at room temperature, reduces the gelation time.
By the way, a gorgeous novelty was invented on the basis of gellan: a gel-like transparent drink with fruit pieces, as if floating in the air.
A promising area of application of the substance E 418 is the coating of the food surface. Cold or hot solution of the substance is sprayed with the aim of forming a film or a special shell (breading) on semi-finished products from fish, poultry, vegetables, dough products. This in the process of subsequent frying contributes to the formation of a crisp and reduces the absorption of oil.
The thickener E 418 was first used by Japanese food manufacturers in 1988. Today it is allowed in Russia, the USA, Canada, the states of the European Union and the EAEU, Australia, and Asian countries. The daily allowable rate has not been established.
In second place in the use of supplements is medicine. Gellan is used in the manufacture of eye drops, healing capsules with hard and soft shells. The substance is included in the Pharmacopoeia of America (USP / NF).
The supplement is also used in innovative medical research. A group of scientists from Australia and the USA, led by Professor Wallace Gordon, imprinted a 3D brain structure using bio ink based on a thickener and living cells. Using this discovery, nerve cells similar to real ones were grown. Gellan was a nutrient that stimulates cell growth.
With the help of this experiment, scientists wanted to understand the nature of intricate neurodegenerative ailments (for example, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's disease), to find ways to heal and prevent them. Admixture E 418 as a thickener, shading the aroma of the product, began to use the cosmetic industry. Gellan is included in skin care creams and toothpastes.
Benefit and harm
What else is interesting gellan gum? The benefits and harms of this supplement are few known. The substance refers to ballast materials that are not able to be absorbed into the walls of the digestive system. It is safe to say that the product is safe. The source is not a source of valuable biological elements, but it benefits the body.
Gellan, once in the stomach, begins to work like fiber:
- normalizes intestinal patency, successfully fights constipation;
- cleanses the gastrointestinal tract from toxins deposited on its walls;
- slows down the absorption of sugar, which helps to lower its level in the blood;
- to some extent helps to get rid of excess weight.
So, now you know that gellan gum does not harm the body, since there are no contraindications to the use of the substance. This food supplement is gradually becoming popular: in recent years, the use of a promising gelling agent and thickener in the food industry has quadrupled. The substance can be found in products of the brands Alpro, Danone, Mentos.