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E418 Gellan Gum – Food Additive Overview

E418 (gellan gum) is an approved food additive used as a gelling agent, thickener, and stabilizer in a wide range of food and beverage products.

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Things worth knowing about "E418"

E418 (gellan gum) is an approved food additive used as a gelling agent, thickener, and stabilizer in a wide range of food and beverage products.

What is E418 (Gellan Gum)?

E418, commonly known as gellan gum, is a naturally derived polysaccharide produced through the fermentation of the bacterium Sphingomonas elodea. It is an approved food additive in the European Union and is widely used in the food industry as a gelling agent, thickener, and stabilizer. Gellan gum was first discovered in the 1970s and is now used globally in foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology.

Production and Chemical Properties

Gellan gum is manufactured through microbial fermentation. The bacterium Sphingomonas elodea produces a linear polysaccharide composed of a repeating tetrasaccharide unit made up of glucose, glucuronic acid, and rhamnose. After fermentation, the polymer is purified and dried.

Solubility: Gellan gum dissolves in warm water and forms stable gels upon cooling.
Thermoreversibility: The resulting gels can be re-liquefied by reheating.
Variants: There are two main forms – low-acyl gellan gum (produces firm, clear gels) and high-acyl gellan gum (produces soft, elastic gels).
Ion dependency: Gel formation is enhanced by divalent and monovalent cations such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Applications in Food

E418 is used in a wide variety of food and beverage products. Typical applications include:

Dairy products and dairy alternatives (e.g., plant-based milk, yogurt)
Desserts, puddings, and jellies
Jams and preserves
Bakery products and glazes
Soft drinks and fruit juice beverages (as a suspending agent)
Confectionery and chewing gum
Vegetarian and vegan products as a gelatin substitute

Due to its excellent gelling properties, gellan gum is effective at very low concentrations (0.05–0.25%), making it highly economical. It is also heat- and acid-stable, making it suitable for a wide range of food processing conditions.

Use in Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology

Beyond the food industry, gellan gum is used in pharmaceuticals, for example as an ingredient in eye drops, in controlled drug release formulations, and as a microbiology culture medium as a substitute for agar.

Safety and Regulatory Status

E418 is approved in the European Union under Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008 on food additives. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has assessed gellan gum as safe for use in food. No specific ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) has been established, as no adverse effects have been identified at typical consumption levels.

Gellan gum is barely absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and is considered physiologically inert.
It is vegan and suitable for vegetarian diets.
Allergic reactions to gellan gum are extremely rare and have rarely been documented.

Labelling

In food ingredient lists, gellan gum must be declared either as E418 or as gellan gum. This allows consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.

References

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Re-evaluation of gellan gum (E 418) as a food additive. EFSA Journal, 2018.
European Parliament and Council of the EU: Regulation (EC) No. 1333/2008 on food additives. Official Journal of the European Union, 2008.
Sworn, G.: Gellan Gum. In: Phillips, G. O. & Williams, P. A. (eds.): Handbook of Hydrocolloids. Woodhead Publishing, 2009.

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