Corn Derivative - Xanthan Gum
Today's Corn Derivative is the secret ingredient in what used to be my favorite hot sauce, Texas Pete! I always wondered "What Is Xanthan Gum?" whenever I bought my 6 to 8 bottles of hot sauce. Maybe Xanthan Gum was what made it taste so good, thought I.
If you see the words Xanthan Gum in the Ingredients or Nutrition facts, then that product has corn in it. Why the hell hot sauce would have corn in it is worthy of investigation!
Xanthan Gum has this amazing ability to increase the viscosity of a liquid. So if you have something that is mostly water and you need it to thicken up, just a small amount of xanthan gum will do the job.
Xanthan Gum is used in ice cream AND toothpaste. It gives ice cream a more creamy texture (unlike milk would, I guess) and helps to bind toothpaste together.
According to wisegeek, xanthan gum is used whenever a gel-like quality is sought. A food low in fat that needs to 'feel like fat' can be enhanced by xanthan gum.
But not just food, hand cream or other cosmetics can contain xanthan gum as well! It's not just for your belly anymore! Drink it down or rub it on, xanthan gum is like a corn starch that feels neat!
People allergic to gluten are very happy with xanthan gum as it is often used as a gluten replacement.
Merriam Webster Definition: produced by fermentation of carbohydrates by a bacterium (Xanthomonas campestris) and is a thickening and suspending agent used especially in pharmaceuticals and prepared foods
According to the Xanthan Gum MSDS, Xanthan Gum is 'generally regarded as safe.'
Practically Edible has a good definition of Xanthan Gum: Xanthan Gum is basically a slime secreted by bacteria that is then used in commercial food preparation.
I am not going to avoid xanthan gum as much as just be happy to know that it is derived from corn and is used to thicken stuff up.
Submitted by - David Johnson