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1. Structure
Xanthan gum is a substance secreted by bacteria (see Box 1). It is a huge molecule. Its molecular mass is estimated at between 1.5 x 10 6 and 5 x 10 6 daltons, or 1.5 to 5 t/mol!
Its approximate and average gross formula is :
Xanthan gum is a polymer consisting of d-glucose, d-mannose and d-glucuronic acid, in molar proportions of 2, 2, 1, partially acetylated and pyruvylated.
The degree of acetylation depends...
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
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Structure
Biosynthesis
Economic data
The world market for xanthan gum exceeded 30,000 t in 1998, and is growing at over 5% a year. Xanthan gum is highly developed in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in Europe. Continued growth in the United States, the Americanization of food habits in Europe and innovation in the mass retail sector (detergents, cosmetics, etc.) are the driving forces behind xanthan gum's development.
The...
Bibliography
Regulations
Xanthan gum has been approved for use in the food industry since 1969 by the US Food and Drug Administration (21 CFR 172.696).
It is one of the 27 polysaccharides approved by the EEC (Directive 80/597/EEC of 05/29/80, approval since 1974 for xanthan gum), and bears the number E 415.
The acceptable daily intake (mg · kg -1 body weight...
Standardization
The only authoritative reference standard in the industry is the Food Chemical Codex, cited in the bibliographic reference.
Main producers (in 1999)
The main producers of xanthan gum are, in descending order of tonnage:
Kelco (Monsanto – USA)
Rhodia (Melle – France)
ADM (USA)
Jungbunzlauer (Austria)
SKW Trotsberg (Germany, formerly SBI France)
Production tonnages for each of these companies are confidential and...
The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference
