Xanthan Gum Types and Their Viscosity Functions in the Food Industry

The thickening, stabilizing, and emulsifying qualities of xanthan gum make it a highly useful and popular food additive. The bacterium Xanthomonas campestris ferments to produce a polysaccharide that gives food products their distinct rheological characteristics.

Types of Xanthan Gum by Grade and Application 

1. Food-grade Xanthan gum
   Found in salad dressings, sauces, dairy products, baked goods, beverages, and gluten-free foods, this is the most widely used form in the food industry. It stabilizes emulsions and suspensions, enhances texture and mouthfeel, and offers exceptional viscosity at low concentrations. Food-grade xanthan is notable for its shear-thinning behavior, which improves sensory experience and aids in processing by reducing viscosity under shear (such as stirring) and recovering at rest.

2. Industrial grade
   Usually utilized in industries like construction materials, paints, coatings, textile printing, and oil drilling fluids. Despite having good viscosity and suspending qualities, it might not meet food safety regulations.

3. Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Grade
   Pharmaceutical gels, topical creams, lotions, and oral formulations are made with specially purified xanthan gums that guarantee biocompatibility and a constant viscosity for use in medical and personal care applications.

Types of Viscosity and Their Uses

1. Low Viscosity Xanthan gum: Perfect for drinks and thin sauces that need to be thickened just enough to pour easily.

2. Medium Viscosity Xanthan Gum: Ideal for bakery goods, dairy products, and dressings where better texture and balanced thickness are preferred.

3. Heavy sauces, creams, and pharmaceutical gels use high viscosity xanthan gum, which offers potent thickening, suspension stability, and extended 

Important Functional Characteristics: 

• Consistency in Temperature and pH Ranges
  From freezing temperatures below -18°C to heat processing close to 120°C, xanthan gum retains its thickening and stabilizing properties across a wide pH range (1 to 12). This makes it ideal for a variety of food processing situations, such as pasteurization, sterilization, and the production of frozen goods.

• Resistance to Breakdown Caused by Enzymes and Salt
  In contrast to many starch thickeners, xanthan gum preserves its viscosity and resists enzymatic breakdown in high-salinity foods like processed meats, pickles, and sauces, improving texture retention.

• Emulsion stabilization and thickening
  Even at low concentrations, the three-dimensional network of xanthan gum greatly increases viscosity by reducing mobility and trapping water. By stabilizing oil-in-water emulsions and preventing phase separation and solid particle sedimentation, it preserves uniform consistency in dressings.

• Texture Enhancement and Gluten Substitution
  By simulating the viscoelastic qualities of gluten, xanthan gum improves dough elasticity, crumb structure, and moisture retention in gluten-free baking. By adding body and creaminess, it also improves the mouthfeel of foods that are lower in fat and calories.

Summary

Because of its physicochemical characteristics and molecular makeup, xanthan gum is an essential functional ingredient in contemporary food formulations. Xanthan gum is an essential ingredient in a variety of food products due to its capacity to maintain complex emulsions and suspensions, provide consistent viscosity, withstand harsh processing conditions, and enhance product texture and shelf life.

Sources:

•  https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10866857/

• BSH Ingredients Xanthan Gum Applications: Uses, Benefits & Industry Guide, 2025: https://www.bshingredients.com/xanthan-gum-applications/

• Centro-Chem Xanthan Gum in the Food Industry, 2025: https://centro-chem.pl/en/xanthan-gum-in-the-food-industry/

• Sharma, N. (2017). Xanthan Gum - A Boon to Food Industry. Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Xanthan-Gum-A-Boon-to-Food-Industry-Sharma-Naresh/5511daf350daf05c0da0ee7db9cbe0a879d8f3e6

• ScienceDirect article on Properties and Applications of Xanthan Gum: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141391097001808