Description

Stabilizer (INS 418) is Gellan gum which grows naturally on water lilies but is artificially produced by fermenting sugar with a specific strain of bacteria, Sphingomonas elodea. It is a powder, beige in color and decomposes at a high temperature. It is widely used in food products as a stabilizer and works as a plant-based alternative to gelatin, which is derived from animal skin, cartilage, or bone. It dissolves on heating to a transparent solution and on cooling, forms a transparent and firm gel. It is effective at very low concentrations. One of its most important features is the varied texture it provides to food products. It has two forms,1) Low acyl gellan gum and 2) High acyl gellan gum. Low acyl gellan gum forms hard and brittle gels while high acyl gellan gum forms soft and elastic gels. By varying the ratio of these two forms a large variety of textures can be obtained. It does not alter the taste or color of foods to which it is added. Stabilizer (INS 418) is similar to other gelling agents used in food products like guar gum, carrageenan, agar-agar, and xanthan gum.