Xanthum Gum vs Guar Gum
Recently we have been asked a lot about why we use guar gum in our products instead of the more commonly seen Xanthum Gum. Both are used in gluten free products to replace the thickening and binding properties that are lost without the gluten. We have a couple reasons why we choose Guar Gum as our replacement of choice… one being the strange aftertaste we have found Xanthum gum to have, the other being the origin of the 2 substances. Read a little about the 2 and see if you agree with us:
“Xanthan gum derives its name from the strain of bacteria used during the fermentation process, Xanthomonas campestris.Xanthomonas campestris is the same bacteria responsible for causing black rot to form on broccoli, cauliflower and other leafy vegetables. The bacteria forms a slimy substance which acts as a natural stabilizer or thickener. The United States Department of Agriculture ran a number of experiments involving bacteria and various sugars to develop a new thickening agent similar to corn starch or guar gum. When Xanthomonas campestris was combined with corn sugar, the result was a colorless slime called xanthan gum.”
Guar gum, on the other hand is a naturally occurring thickener:
“The guar plant, also known as a cluster plant, grows primarily in Pakistan and the northern regions of India. It thrives on the drought/monsoon cycles present in those areas. The plants are harvested after the monsoon season and the seeds are allowed to dry in the sun. The seeds are then manually or mechanically separated and processed into a flour or sold as split seeds. Guar gum is an important cash crop for the Indian and Pakistani economies.”
We get great results with the Guar gum and proudly use it in our products instead of Xanthum gum.
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