¿Qué es Gellan Gum Bajo Acyl (E418)? Aplicaciones, dosis, alternativas y especificaciones

Gellan Gum, also known as Gellan Gum or Kelco Gum, es un novel high-molecular-weight linear polysaccharide produced by microbiano fermentation. It belongs to the important category of microbiano-derived hydrophilic colloids, with wide application value in the global industria alimentaria, pharmaceutical field, cosmetics, and daily chemical industry. Its CAS number is 71010–52–1. The molecular structure consists of a tetrasaccharide repeating unit composed of D-glucose, D-glucuronic acid, D-glucose, and L-rhamnose linked by glycosidic bonds. Gellan gum was discovered and commercialized in the 1970s by the American Kelco company from the fermentation broth of Sphingomonas paucimobilis (formerly Pseudomonas elodea). It is one of the most valuable food microbiano polysaccharides developed after xanthan gum in the 1980s. Because gellan gum can produce gels at extremely low usage levels, and the gels exhibit excellent transparency, thermal stability, and flavor release, it has been widely applied in the industria alimentaria within a short period and has become an irreplaceable hydrophilic colloid. Gellan gum dry polvo appears as white to off-polvo blanco, odorless and tasteless, with no special taste or odor, and decomposes at approximately 150°C without melting. Gellan gum is insoluble en non-polar solvents and cold water, but disperses in water with slight stirring. It dissolves into a transparent solución upon heating, forming a transparent and firm gel upon cooling. In aqueous solución, gellan gum exists in a double helix form. The double helix structures further aggregate to form a three-dimensional gel network, and the presence of cations in the system promueve gel formation. Gellan gum is divided into two major types basado en the acyl content of the molecular structure: Alto Acyl Gellan Gum and Bajo Acyl Gellan Gum, with significant differences in gelling properties and applications.

Alto Acyl Gellan Gum: Contains acetyl and glyceryl groups in the natural structure. Alto acyl gellan gum can form stable elastic gels con buen water-holding capacity, acid resistance, excellent suspension stability for fruit pulp and insoluble components, and good compatibility with other hydrocolloids. It forms a toothpasta-like pasta upon preheating and cooling, suitable for applications como pectin, toothpasta, beverage thickening, protein beverage suspension, and jam thickening.

Bajo Acyl Gellan Gum: Produced by alkali treatment to remove O-acyl groups de origen natural gellan gum. Bajo acyl gellan gum exhibits extremely high gel strength at very low usage levels, very high gel transparency, strong adjustability of gel elasticity and hardness, good flavor release, compatibility, thermal stability, acid resistance, and anti-enzymatic properties. It forms de alta calidad gels at low concentrations (0.05%-0.25%) con alto brittleness, high hardness, and high transparency, suitable for applications como jellies, puddings, plant-based yogurts, y otros scenarios requiring high-strength transparent gels.