2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
To give the right density and stability to some foods, we most often use gelatin and pectin in our home kitchen. The food industry has a much greater wealth of such ingredients at its disposal, and we can guess exactly what role they play from their names.
Gelling agents are used to gel foods. They give them the desired shape and structure. Thickeners make food thicker and supported by other substances known as stabilizers, helping emulsifiers to affect food to maintain their consistency.
To maintain the physical properties and texture of food during its production, transport, storage and preparation, substances called stabilizers are used.
All these additives have a natural, semi-synthetic or synthetic composition. All with a natural composition are vegetable and only gelatin is an exception. Natural products are often called tires. Arabica gum, guar gum, axanthan gum, agar gum and many others are known.
In their chemical composition, they are made up of carbohydrates, these are galactose and mannose, which combine in different ways and in different proportions.
These natural components are polysaccharides. They have the task of increasing the viscosity of the food product, which means making it thicker. They are used as binders in food preservation and animal feed production.
They also have a role as a main ingredient in diet drinks. They are also an additive in frozen fruits and ice cream, and the purpose of their use is to slow down the sugaring of the fruit.
In fruit juices and beverages, they are a substance that serves to give the juices a darker color. Their presence in cereals means that they play the role of fiber. In chewing and jelly candies are the shaping substance in them. In chocolate milk are a suspension.
However, the huge variety of applications does not mean that large amounts of them are used. In most foods, they make up 0.1 to 2 percent of the composition.
In addition to their purely technological role, these supplements also have nutritional value. They are the fibers that facilitate digestion, and often have laxative properties.
One representative of these substances is xanthan gum, often called only xanthan. What is xanthan? and where does it apply?
Nature and production of xanthan gum
The xanthan gum is displayed on food labels such as E415. It belongs to the polysaccharides and is obtained during the biotechnological fermentation of some plant raw materials. It is in the form of a secondary metabolic product of a microorganism with the Latin name Xanthomonas campestris. It is a bacterium that also forms black spots on vegetables such as cauliflower and broccoli.
Corn sugar or another type of sugar, as well as some cereals, are usually used for the fermentation process. A slimy mucous mass is obtained, which is dried and ground into a white powder. There are many other bacteria that can play this role, but only xanthan can be produced in industrial quantities.
When the production process of xanthan gum no more living bacteria remain in the final product, which eliminates any risks when using the tire.
Xanthan gum was first produced in the United States in the mid-20th century. The use of the ingredient in food was allowed in 1969. Today, the polysaccharide is widely used and there are no restrictions on its inclusion in cooking.
In appearance, this is a transparent product that allows easy formation of air bubbles. If not mixed with another product, it is not as viscous.
Application of xanthan gum
Xanthan gum is an extremely popular and used additive. It ranks among the 20 most used ingredients in the food industry. It is also found in cosmetic products.
E415 can be found on the indications of the composition of toothpastes, ice cream, ready-made sauces, where it most often represents 0.5 percent of the weight of food. Xanthan gum is also available in frozen foods, beverages, in gluten-free pasta to thicken the dough.
E415 will be found in the labels of fish and meat preparations, in mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, yogurt and jelly candies, as well as all products that we often thaw and freeze again.
Not only foods need this stabilizing agent. Xanthan gum is applied active in cosmetic products - shampoos, shower gels, lotions, liquid soaps.
The use of xanthan in the pharmaceutical industry is no less widespread - we find it in the production of blood substitutes, anticoagulants, in the production of suspensions, capsules and others.
Application xanthan gum finds and in personal care products, paints, lubricants and medical devices.
Benefits of xanthan gum
If we are looking for health benefits from using xanthan gum, there are none. This supplement has the character of a chemically neutral product for humans, which means that when it enters the body, it does not react to it and over time is eliminated without a trace.
However, in people with dysphagia, which is a problem with swallowing food, E414 is used to prepare creamy foods from meat, vegetables and other products. Food with such a consistency is easier to swallow.
For those on a low-calorie diet, xanthan gum is also suitable. It can be used to prepare dishes with low energy effect, as the supplement itself is not absorbed by the body and has no caloric value.
It has a creamy taste, but does not change the taste of the food. It is added because it is an excellent thickener, plays the role of a gelling agent. Adds density to food so that it does not fall apart. It is used in jellies, ice cream, jam, chocolate paste all for this purpose.
The benefits of xanthan gum lie in its safety, natural origin, cheap method of production and at the same time necessary small doses, which makes it very economical.
E415 does not change its properties no matter how often it is frozen and thawed and has a high solubility in water, it is resistant to acids. Does not come into contact with pectin, gelatin and other additives used in cooking.
Is xanthan gum safe?
The conclusions of half a century of research on xanthan gum is that the supplement is completely safe and does not harm human health. It is highly chemically inert. When ingested, it is not absorbed into the bloodstream and does not participate in biochemical processes in the body.
However, excessive use in young children can cause bloating and nausea. A disease has also been reported - necrotic enterocolitis in babies, as stomach problems are caused by xanthan gum in karma thickeners, adapted baby milks, purees and others.
It is also possible to spoil food if too much xanthan gum is added to it.
Compatibility of xanthan gum with other additives
E415 is rarely used alone. When combined with guar gum, a more stable and viscous environment is achieved, so these two substances are very often found in tandem. It is often combined with similar locust bean products.
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