By Jeanne Yacoubou, MS

Gellan Gum
Alternative name: E418
Commercial source: microbial fermentation (Sphingomonas elodea on corn, sugar beet or sugar cane)
Used in: beverages (esp. plant-based beverages), dairy, confections, jams, jellies, pie fillings, salad dressings, sauces, cosmetics, personal care and oral care products, pharmaceuticals, pet food, household cleaners
Used for: Gelling, texturizing, thickening, stabilizing, suspending, film-forming, bulking and structuring
Definition: A naturally occurring polysaccharide (carbohydrate) used mainly as a stabilizer & suspension agent in beverages, gellan gum is a common gelatin alternative.
Major Manufacturers: Jason at CP Kelco told us they use “corn syrup” as a fermentation medium. http://www.cpkelco.com/products-gellan-gum.html

Summer at Cinogel Biotech informed us they use “cane sugar or glucose.” She did not respond with more detail. www.cinogel.com

Brooke at TIC Gums wrote by email that they “…use corn derivatives to make the glucose syrup for the fermentation process.” https://www.ticgums.com/products/category/gellan-gum.html

Wen Wu from Opal Biotech stated that they “…use glucose powder to produce gellan gum. Glucose is derived from corn. If requested, we could use cane sugar.” www.opalbiotech.com

Jean-Baptiste of DuPont Danisco responded that “Our plant is located in Europe, and we use some local beet sugar to produce [gellan gum].” http://www.danisco.com/about-dupont/news/news-archive/2017/dupont-nutrition-health-increases-the-appeal-of-dairy-free-drinks/

Classification: Vegan
Definition updated: August 2018

For more information: https://www.vrg.org/blog/…/gellan-gum-in-many-non-dairy-beverages-is-all-vegetabl…

https://foodingredientfacts.org/facts-on-food-ingredients/sources-of-food-ingredients/gellan-gum/

http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/gellan.html

For information on other ingredients, see https://www.vrg.org/ingredients/index.php