E418Stabiliser · Thickener
Gellan gum
What the research shows
No concerns
none of the findings here link it to harm
What research says
Studies in people
-
Benefit
Blood sugar after meals3
In people, cooking white rice with gellan gum led to lower blood sugar rises after eating.
How it’s made and used
-
How it is made4
Gellan gum is made by bacteria during fermentation.
-
Food additive uses5
Gellan gum is used in foods like jelly, yogurt and juices as a thickener and gelling agent.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
What expert reviews concluded
Expert panels that weigh all the research. Shown for context: the signal at the top does not count them.
-
UN and WHO food additive experts (JECFA), 2019
No daily limit needed (“ADI not specified”, JECFA’s term for very low toxicity).
Regulatory status
Checked Sep 2026-
United States Permitted FDA 21 CFR 172.665
-
European Union Permitted EUR-Lex Reg. (EC) 1333/2008
-
United Kingdom Permitted FSA retained EU law
-
Canada Permitted Health Canada · Emulsifying Gelling Stabilizing Thickening Agents
Status reflects the named register on the date checked. It is not a safety rating.
How we checkProducts
The 6 most-scanned of 3,584 products on Open Food Facts that list gellan gum.
- Geröstete Mandel Ohne Zucker alpro · 1 l 3 additives
- Alpro Mandeldrink, Original 1L Alpro · 1 l 2 additives
- Alpro smooth subtle creamy oat alpro · 1 l 2 additives
- Alpro tempting and tropical coco low fat Alpro · 1 l 3 additives
- Rich and indulgent Hazelnut alpro · 1 l 2 additives
- Coco Sans Sucres alpro · 1 l 3 additives
References
- 1Gellan gum: ingredient taxonomy entry. Open Food Facts.
- 2Gellan gum. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 3Alshammari NA, Riches K, Muttakin S, et al. Structuring white rice with gellan gum reduces the glycemic response in healthy humans. Food Res Int. 2024;196:115090. doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2024.115090
- 4Prajapati VD, Jani GK, Zala BS, Khutliwala TA. An insight into the emerging exopolysaccharide gellan gum as a novel polymer. Carbohydr Polym. 2013;93(2):670-8. doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.01.030
- 5Abdl Aali RAK, Al-Sahlany STG. Gellan Gum as a Unique Microbial Polysaccharide: Its Characteristics, Synthesis, and Current Application Trends. Gels. 2024;10(3). doi:10.3390/gels10030183