Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide fermentation of new products, first put into industrial production in 1961 by the American Kelco Company, now widely used in the food industry.
Xanthan gum since 1996 as a food additive, the food industry has been widely accepted. According to China's food additives health standards, xanthan gum can be used in bread, ice cream, dairy products, meat, jams, jellies, beverages and other products. Due to the special structure of macromolecules and colloidal properties of xanthan gum can be used as an emulsifier, stabilizer, thickener gel, wetting agents, film forming agent, is internationally recognized set of thickening, suspending, emulsifying, stabilizing at one, one of the most superior performance of biological glue, with a variety of excellent features:
1. suspension and emulsification
Xanthan gum insoluble solids and oil droplets with a good suspension effect. Xanthan gum sol molecules capable of forming a super junction strip spiral interpolymer, constituting a network structure similar fragile plastic, it is possible to support the form of solid particles, liquid droplets and bubbles, shows a strong emulsification stabilization and high suspended capacity.
2. Good water-soluble
Xanthan gum is dissolved in water quickly, have a good water solubility. In particular it can be dissolved in cold water, eliminating the need for complicated process easy to use. But because it has a strong hydrophilic, if the direct addition of water is not sufficient stirring outer swelling into micelles, will prevent moisture from entering the inner layer, and thus play a role in the impact, it must pay attention to proper use.
3. thickening
Xanthan gum solution having a low concentration of high viscosity characteristics (viscosity of 1% aqueous solution of gelatin is equivalent to 100 times), is a highly efficient thickener.
4. pseudoplastic
An aqueous solution having a xanthan gum under static or low shear effects of high viscosity at high shear viscosity showed a sharp decline, but the molecular structure unchanged. When the shear force is removed, then immediately restore the original viscosity.
5. Thermal stability
Xanthan gum solution viscosity with temperature changes will not change a lot, usually by heating polysaccharide viscosity will change, but the aqueous xanthan gum between 10-80 ℃ almost no change viscosity, even at low concentrations aqueous solution over a wide temperature range is nevertheless showed stable high viscosity.
6. pH stability
Xanthan gum solution of acid is very stable in the PH of between 5-10 whose viscosity is not affected.
7. Stability of Salt
Xanthan gum solution can be miscible with many salt solution, the viscosity is not affected.
8. Stability enzymatic reactions
Xanthan gum stable double helix structure so that it has strong antioxidant and anti-enzyme capacity, and many enzymes such as protease, amylase, cellulase and hemicellulase enzymes do not make xanthan gum degradation.
