The Additive in Noodles: Xanthan Gum!

Noodles are one of the staple foods in our life, especially one of the cooked wheaten foods that people from the North like. Xanthan gum food additives are added during the production of noodles. There have been rumors on the Internet that this type of noodles was uneatable. Therefore, what exactly is xanthan gum food additive?

1. What is xanthan gum?

Xanthan gum is a monospore polysaccharide produced by the fermentation of Pseudoxanthomonas, which is produced by cabbage black rot Xanthomonas campestris and carbohydrates as main raw materials. It is a type of acidic extracellular heteropolysaccharide that goes through aerobic fermentation bioengineering technology to cut off 1,6-glycosidic bonds and open the branched chains, and then 1, 4-bond synthesis of straight-chain by breaking the spending chain. It is isolated from the Xanthomonas black rot from the National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research of Peoria, Illinois in 1952, and converts the cabbage extract into water-soluble acidic extracellular heteropolysaccharide.

2. Xanthan gum in noodles

Therefore, what are the functions of xanthan gum? Why is it added to noodles? Xanthan gum food additive belongs to "food additives that can be used in various foods according to production needs", and the function is the thickener. Xanthan gum is full of structures such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amino, which act as "tentacles" to "grab" proteins, starches, and lipids and improve the toughness of noodles. At the same time, it has a high viscosity and good solubility. Also, it can absorb a lot of water to make noodles taste more elastic and smooth.

Xanthan gum food additive is a food additive that is allowed to add under national regulations, and it is non-toxic and harmless. Also, there is no restriction on the amount of thickener used in many foods. Therefore, there is no scientific basis for "long-term excessive use will be harmful to the human body".