Supplier-declared attributes — documentation available on request
Xanthan Gum
CAS 11138-66-2
A high-viscosity bacterial polysaccharide providing suspension stability, pourability control and freeze-thaw stability across a broad pH range.
Also known as: Xanthan
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Specification reviewed by Technical Review Panel, NEOLINK Industry on · Initial publication. — regulatory status is stated only where documented and cited.
Application scenarios
Typical use cases with the parameters that actually govern dosage decisions.
Beverages and shakes
Suspends insoluble particles in chocolate milk, protein shakes and salad dressings, preventing separation through shelf life.
Bakery and bakery fillings
Improves dough handling and reduces syrup drain in laminated fillings and puddings.
Frozen and chilled products
Provides freeze-thaw stability, limiting syneresis in ice cream and frozen desserts after temperature cycling.
Regulatory status
Stated per market, with the reference we rely on. Where a status is not yet documented we say so rather than assert it.
Our quality system, third-party certificates and documentation policy are set out on the quality & compliance page .
| Market | Status | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| US | Not yet verified — request documentation for your market | — |
| EU | Not yet verified — request documentation for your market | — |
Regulatory status is jurisdiction-specific and changes. Always confirm the status applicable to your product, your process and your market of sale with your own regulatory function before commercialising.
Technical notes & formulation guidance
Xanthan gum is the most widely used hydrocolloid in commercial food formulation, and the reason is not that it is the best thickener in isolation. It is that it is the most forgiving. It works across a pH range where most gums fail, it survives processing heat, and its shear-thinning profile means it behaves well in both processing and final product.
Hydration is the entire skill
Almost every xanthan failure is a hydration failure. Xanthan does not dissolve the way salt dissolves. It disperses as fine particles that must then hydrate, and it is shear-thinning during that process — which means vigorous mixing actually slows hydration rather than accelerating it.
The reliable method is to build a slurry. Pre-mix the powder with sugar or another dry carrier, then add to the liquid phase under moderate agitation with a short high-shear step at the end. Direct addition into a moving liquid will produce lumps, and those lumps will persist.
A practical rule: allow at least 30 to 60 minutes of hydration before evaluation, and test at your actual process temperature. Hydration rate is temperature-dependent, and a gum that hydrates in 30 minutes in warm water can take considerably longer in a cold fill.
Shear-thinning and why it matters
Xanthan's viscosity drops under shear and recovers when shear stops. In practical terms this means:
- It is easy to pump and mix in the plant.
- It does not add excessive perceived thickness when consumed, because the shear in the mouth reduces it.
- In pourable applications such as dressings, this gives you an apparent viscosity that is far lower than the measured viscosity — which is the point, and which is why bench viscosity measurements need to be interpreted carefully.
If you need a product that stays thick on the palate rather than merely thick on the bench, xanthan alone is usually the wrong tool.
Dosage reality
Working range is 0.05 to 0.5 percent (typical range from published hydrocolloid literature and FCC monograph material; your suspension load determines the usable figure). For suspension and stabilisation, 0.1 to 0.25 percent is where most projects land. Above 0.3 percent you are usually fighting a mouthfeel problem rather than solving a stability one.
Interaction with electrolytes
Xanthan is relatively insensitive to salt compared with many hydrocolloids, which is why it performs well in savoury and dairy systems. It is not immune, though — high salt levels can still reduce viscosity. If your formulation is heavily salted, test at your actual salt level rather than at a low-salt bench point.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my xanthan gum clump during hydration?
Clumping is almost always a hydration technique problem rather than a quality problem. Xanthan disperses as fine particles before hydrating, and it is shear-thinning during hydration, so vigorous mixing actually slows the process. Pre-mixing the powder with a dry carrier such as sugar before adding to liquid, and allowing 30 to 60 minutes of hydration, resolves almost all cases.
What is the maximum use level in beverages?
The practical working range is 0.05 to 0.5 percent by weight. For suspension and stabilisation applications, 0.1 to 0.25 percent is where most successful projects sit. Beyond roughly 0.3 percent you are usually addressing a mouthfeel problem rather than a stability one.
Does xanthan gum work in high-salt formulations?
Xanthan is relatively insensitive to salt compared with many hydrocolloids, which is why it performs well in savoury and dairy systems. It is not immune — high salt concentrations can still reduce viscosity — so test at your actual salt level rather than at a low-salt bench point.