VRG > Vegetarian Journal > 1994 Issue July > The Diversity of Gums in Food Products

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The Diversity of Gums in Food Products

By Stuart Cantor

Vegetable gums, or hydrocolloids, as they are technically called, have a diverse variety of applications and properties. In addition to their use in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and paint industries, they are also widely used in the food and beverage industry.

Gums help foods stay moist and prevent baked goods, such as cookies, cakes, and breads, from going stale. In salad dressings, they are used as thickening agents and as emulsifiers to prevent oil separation. Gums give jams and jellies a spreadable texture and give candies a gummy texture. They add body and creamy texture to cheese and ice cream. They also act as thickeners in syrups, frostings, and icings. In vegetarian burgers, gums act as binders to produce a moist and juicy product. Gums can replace fats as carriers of flavor. They help seasoning blends or salt stick to lowfat snack foods. They also can give lowfat foods a creamy, rich taste and texture without the fat.

The gums most widely used to produce vegetarian foods include guar, carrageenan, locust (carob) bean, CMC (cellulose gum), and xanthan gum.

The focus of this article is on the use of gums in lowfat or non-fat products. Fortunately, today there are many healthier alternatives to the high- fat, low-fiber foods of the past. These healthy foods mimic exactly the taste, texture, and flavor of their high- fat counterparts.

Gums are complex molecules, high in soluble dietary fiber, and virtually fat-free. Gums are poly-saccharides (complex carbohydrates) and each gum is composed of different sugars, linked together in different proportions. Gums come from a variety of sources including trees, seeds, and marine plants. They can also be synthesized either chemically or via microbial fermentation. Typically, only small quantities of gum are necessary for most food applications. Different gums can also perform very similar functions in food products. There are currently fifteen gums approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in use today and others are being considered. The ones most widely used for vegetarian foods include guar, carrageenan, locust (carob) bean, CMC (cellulose gum), and xanthan gum.

GUAR GUM is derived from the seeds of plants cultivated in India and Pakistan. It can form fairly thick solutions in cold water but has no gelling or emulsifying properties. Guar can provide body in soy milk beverages and prevent separation of ingredients. It contributes smoothness in ice cream by promoting small ice crystals during the freezing process and also gives a more uniform texture to cheese products. Guar is also used in dry cake mixes and breads.

CARRAGEENAN is extracted from marine plants in the Philippines, Korea, and China. There are several types with differing chemical characteristics. Carrageenans are protein reactive and can form strong gels. They are currently used widely in the meat industry. Other uses include gel formation in low-fat cheeses, ice cream, and non-dairy toppings. In pie fillings, carrageenan prevents a "runny" fruit filling.

CELLULOSE GUM or CMC is a chemically modified natural gum. It is derived from either wood pulp or cotton fiber and can be prepared in a wide range of viscosity. This gum is noncaloric, since it is unable to be metabolized by humans. CMC functions to prevent ice crystal formation in ice cream and other frozen desserts, prevents sugar crystallization leading to grittiness in syrups, and acts as an effective stabilizer in acidified milk beverages. It is also used in tortilla products to retain moisture, retard staling, and maintain flexibility.

LOCUST BEAN or CAROB BEAN GUM has been utilized since ancient times. Locust bean gum functions in cheese products by controlling water loss and results in a firm, homogeneous, and spreadable product. This gum can also form dessert gels. While the gum is derived from the seeds, the pods that surround them are used in the manufacture of carob. The carob pods are naturally sweet and aromatic and are used as a substitute for chocolate.

XANTHAN GUM is produced by a microbial fermentation. It is cold water soluble, acid- and heat- stable, and although solutions appear gel-like, xanthan mixes and pours readily. Highly viscous solutions can be prepared using a low-gum concentration. Xanthan gum is used widely in the baking industry. It improves the freeze-thaw stability of frozen dough and is used in bakery fillings. In salad dressings, xanthan gum helps to stabilize the oil emulsion and provides thickness as well as particle-suspending abilities.

The applications of gums are very diverse, and they improve the quality of a wide variety of products. Recently, their use as fat replacers have paved the way for a whole new line of nutritious, delicious, and appetizing food products. Through greater consumer awareness of the health benefits of a vegetarian diet and more publicity about such foods, we should anticipate greater visibility of these products in the marketplace.

EXAMPLES OF VEGETARIAN PRODUCTS CONTAINING VEGETABLE GUMS

GUAR: Nasoya's Nayonaise, Nasoya's Vegi-Dressings, Whitewave's Dairyless (non-dairy yogurt), Yves' Veggie Pepperoni, Yves' Veggie Wiener

CARAGEENAN: Hain's SuperFruits, Imagine Foods' Dream Pudding, Lightlife's Smart Dogs

CELLULOSE GUM or CMC: Chef Garcia Corn Tortillas

LOCUST BEAN or CAROB BEAN GUM: Barbara's Fast Free Cereal Bars, Farm Foods' Ice Bean, Rice Dream's Vanilla Non-Dairy Dessert, Sweet Nothing's Vanilla Non-Dairy Dessert

XANTHAN GUM: Hain's Eggless Mayonnaise, San-J's Thai Peanut Sauce

Note: Several items listed above contain more than one type of vegetable gum. Also, often natural foods products list vegetable gum as an ingredient; however, the specific type of gum used is not listed.

Stuart Cantor is a vegetarian and works for a gum company in Maryland.

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