Gellan gum first received approval for food use in Japan in 1988. It is a microbial polysaccharide derived from the organism Pseudomonas elodea, is a linear polymer with a tetrasaccharide repeat unit consisting of glucose, glucuronic acid, glucose and rhamnose.
It is now approved for food, nonfood, cosmetic and pharmaceutical use in the USA, Canada, Australia and many other countries in Latin America South America, Asia and the European Union.
Gellan gum is used commercially in a wide range of food applications:
*Water based gels
*Fabricated foods
*Bakery applications
*Pie fillings and puddings
*Dairy foods
*Beverages
*Confections
*Fruit applications
Gellan gums can be used in milk based products and it is possible to hydrate gellan gum directly in milk by heating to above 75 °C.
In dairy products at acid pH (such as yogurt, sour cream, or direct acidified milk gels) it is necessary to include another hydrocolloids (such as CMC or guar gum) to act as a protective colloid and prevent precipitation of the milk protein.
In pharmaceuticals application, gellan gum has been used as a novel drug-delivery vehicle, in film formation for transdermal for drug delivery and as a component in controlled –released system.
Gellan gum as gelling agent
