Willpowder - Xanthan Gum

Natural carbohydrate produced by fermenting glucose with Xanthomonas campestris bacteria (found in cabbage). It is gluten free and can be used as a substitute for gluten in baking (used along with non-gluten containing flours). Discovered more than 50 years ago in Illinois. Develops a weak gel for high-viscosity solutions at low concentration. It is pseudoplastic (shear reversible). Exceptional thickening and stabilizing abilities- keeps ingredients suspended uniformly in salad dressings while providing excellent pour ability without flavor masking. Provides improved mouth feel to such products as syrups and powdered juice drinks. Functions as hydrophilic colloids to thicken and stabilize emulsions, foams, and suspensions. Soluble in hot or cold water, stable over a range of pH and temperatures, can thicken items with a high alcohol content, compatible with and stable in systems containing high concentrations of salt.

One of the most remarkable properties of xanthan gum is its capability of producing a large increase in the viscosity of a liquid by adding a very small quantity of gum, on the order of one percent. In most foods, it is used at 0.5%, or even as low as 0.05%. The viscosity of xanthan gum solutions decreases with higher shear rates. Foods need high viscosity at low shear rates to be stable but, when consumed, they must not seem thick and heavy in the mouth. Due to the pseudoplastic properties of xanthan gum, it can seem thin in the mouth (fairly high rates of shear) but still have good stabilization properties.