Gellan gum has these properties

Gellan gum is also known as Kaico gum and gellan gum. The main ingredients are glucose, glucuronic acid and rhamnose in a ratio of 2:1:1. The four monosaccharides are linear polysaccharides composed of repeating structural units. It is dry powder in beige color and has no special taste or smell.

The characteristics of gellan gum are as follows:

Gellan gum is a linear anionic polysaccharide composed of repeating tetrasaccharide units. Commercial gellan gum comes in various forms, and its average molecular weight usually ranges from 2×10^5 to 2×10^6 Daltons (Da). In aqueous solutions, gellan gum molecules can form a three-dimensional network structure through physical cross-linking, so even at concentrations as low as 200 ppm, gellan gum solutions have unique “fluid gel” rheological properties. The molecular properties of gellan gum will greatly affect its application performance.

Gellan gum can be used as a thickener and stabilizer. Gellan gum is easy to use. Although it is insoluble in cold water, it can be dispersed in water with a little stirring. It dissolves into a transparent solution when heated and forms a transparent and solid gel after cooling.

Gellan gum has good stability and is resistant to acid hydrolysis and enzymatic hydrolysis. The gel produced is very stable even under high-pressure cooking and baking conditions. Stable, it is also very stable in acidic products, and its performance is best under the conditions of pH 4.0-7.5. Its texture is not affected by changes in time and temperature during storage.

Gellan gum has significant temperature hysteresis, that is, the gelling temperature is much lower than the melting temperature of the gel. Usually, the gelling temperature is between 20 and 50°C, while the melting temperature is between 65 and 120°C. The gelling temperature and melting temperature mainly depend on the gel formation conditions, such as the type and concentration of cations. The temperature hysteresis of gellan gum is of great practical significance to the food industry. For example, some products require the gel to be added during the process before melting; while other products require the gel structure to remain stable during the heat treatment process.