Is Xanthan Gum Vegan?

What is Xanthan Gum?

A common food additive that acts as a powerful thickening agent and stabilizer. It prevents ingredients from separating and improves texture, especially in gluten-free baking.

How Xanthan Gum is made

A controlled fermentation tank is filled with a sugar source — typically glucose from corn or sucrose from cane or beet — and inoculated with the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris. Over two to four days the bacteria secrete the polysaccharide xanthan into the broth. The broth is then heat-killed, the xanthan precipitated with isopropyl alcohol, dried, and milled into a fine powder. No animal inputs touch the process.

History and context

Xanthan gum was discovered at the USDA Northern Regional Research Laboratory in the 1950s during a research push to find new uses for surplus US corn. The FDA approved it for food in 1968 and it has since become the most common stabilizer in gluten-free baking and refrigerated salad dressings.

Common misconceptions

Xanthan is sometimes confused with carrageenan (which is from red seaweed and also vegan, but more controversial for digestive reasons) or with guar gum (made from guar beans, vegan). All three are plant- or microbe-derived; none involve animals.

Where Xanthan Gum usually appears

You can frequently find this ingredient hiding in:

• Salad dressings
• Gluten-free breads
• Sauces
• Ice creams

Vegan alternatives to Xanthan Gum

If you're avoiding xanthan gum, look for these plant-based alternatives instead:

• Guar gum
• Cornstarch
• Chia seeds