Gellan Gum: Exploring the Role of Natural Hydrocolloids as Food Additives A Sustainable Solution
History and Discovery of Gellan Gum
Gum gellan was first discovered in 1978 by scientists at Kelco, a USA based company. They isolated the gum from non-pathogenic fermentation of the bacteria Sphingomonas elodea. Initially, it was marketed under the trade name Kelcogel or Gelrite and was used mostly in microbiological culture media. It was later approved as food additive by regulatory authorities in various countries and its application expanded to various food products.
Chemical Structure and Properties
Gellan Gum is an anionic, water-soluble polysaccharide comprised of glucose, rhamnose and glucuronic acid in the molar ratio of 2:1:1. Its unique structure gives it gel-forming, stabilizing and thickening properties when used in aqueous systems. Unlike other gums, gellan does not require the presence of ions like potassium to form a gel. Even in absence of any cations, it can form a gel by simply heating the solution and allowing it to cool. This makes it very convenient to use compared to other gelling agents.
Forms of Gellan Gum
Commercially, Gum gellan is available in two forms - high acyl (HA) and low acyl (LA) variants. HA gellan sets to form hard, brittle gels when cooled, while LA gellan produces soft, elastic gels. The difference arises from the number of acyl groups present - HA has glycerol and acetate ester substituents on its backbone, whereas LA has fewer substitutions. Food manufacturers can choose the right variant based on the texture requirements in their products.
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