What Is Xanthan?
Xanthan is a powder that is milled from the microorganism called Xanthonomonas
campestris. It is made of of glucose , mannose, and glucuronic acid linked to
together to form a three-sugar strand of cellulose. Xanthan has the consistency
of corn starch, but is more stable. Since it is made by fermenting bacteria,
it is considered a natural food. Xanthan is used in food products as well as nonfood products.
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History Of Xanthan
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Xantham was discovered in a laboratory setting my Allene Rosalind Jeanes at the
United States Department of Agriculture. It was discovered during a project
in which many polymers were being tested for potential uses. In 1960, it was
commercially produced by the Kelco Company. In 1968 It was approved for food use
after animal testing was completed.
How Xanthan is Made
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Xantham is made by fermenting the micro-organism Xanthonomonas
campestris. It is fermented using corn syrup and is composed of three types of
sugars. The bacteria is fed corn syrup and eats through it forming a slimy
thickening agent commonly referred to as xanthan gum. -
Xanthan In Food
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Xanthan is used as a thickening agent in dairy foods and salad dressings. It
keeps food at a uniform consistency and still allows it to be fluid enough to
pour. It also is used to keep ice cream from creating crystal and used to make
low or nonfat dairy products feel richer. It can also be used as a gluten
alternative in flour-based foods. People with gluten allergies can look to
xanthan as an alternative.
Nonfood Uses of Xanthan
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Xanthan is often used in cosmetics to keep cream-based products from
separating. Xanthan also has skin hydrating qualities, so it is used in various
moisturizers.It is used in any product where a creamy consistency is required. One little
known use is as a water thickener for applications that use water as a
lubricant, such as machinery.
Considerations
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While Xanthan is an alternative for people with gluten allergies, xanthan itself
may be an allergen some.Diarrhea and migraine headaches are among the symptoms experienced by people with xanthan allergies. Since xanthan is produced by bacteria that feed on a corn byproduct, those with corn allergies may be allergic to xanthan as well.
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