Gellan Gum (E418) Food Regulations by Country
E418A practical overview of gellan gum (E418) food regulations in major markets, including the US, EU, UK, China, Japan, Canada, India, Australia, Korea, and Brazil.
Gellan gum is a food additive mainly used as a stabilizer, thickener and gelling agent.
It is known as E 418 in the European Union and INS 418 in the Codex system. Some countries also have their own local name for it.
If you are buying gellan gum, developing a food product, or exporting a food product containing gellan gum, one of the first questions is usually:
Is gellan gum allowed in this country?
The answer is not simply yes or no.
A country may allow gellan gum, but the actual rules can depend on:
- The type of food
- The food category
- The function of the additive
- The permitted level
- GMP or quantum satis conditions
- The specification of the gellan gum itself
- Labeling requirements
There is also an important difference between the standard for gellan gum itself and the rules for using gellan gum in a finished food.
For example, China has GB 25535-2010 for gellan gum itself, while GB 2760-2024 covers the use of food additives in foods.
This article gives a practical overview of the main markets.
1. Codex Alimentarius
Codex is not a country, but it is useful when looking at international food additive regulations.
The Codex International Numbering System lists:
Gellan gum — INS 418
Gellan gum is used as a:
- Gelling agent
- Stabilizer
- Thickener
The main reference is the General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA), CXS 192-1995.
The GSFA contains provisions for food additives by food category. Depending on the category, additives may have a specific maximum level or be listed under GMP.
Codex is useful as an international reference, but it does not replace the food regulations of an individual country.
So if a customer says:
> "Gellan gum is INS 418, so it should be allowed."
that is not enough to determine whether it can be used in the customer's finished food.
The local food regulations still need to be checked.
Name
- English: Gellan gum
- Codex INS: 418
Official source: Codex Alimentarius — General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA)
2. United States
In the United States, the main regulatory reference for gellan gum is:
21 CFR §172.665 — Gellan gum
The FDA's food substance database lists:
- Substance: Gellan gum
- CAS No.: 71010-52-1
- Technical effect: Stabilizer or thickener
- Regulation: 21 CFR 172.665
The regulation covers the use of gellan gum as a stabilizer and thickener in food and includes specifications for the ingredient.
The FDA's regulatory history also shows that gellan gum was authorized for use as a stabilizer and thickener in foods, including applications such as frostings, glazes, icings, jams and jellies.
So for a US customer, it is better to refer to:
Gellan gum — 21 CFR 172.665
rather than simply writing:
> "FDA approved."
The actual regulation is the useful reference.
Name
- English: Gellan gum
- CAS: 71010-52-1
- US regulatory reference: 21 CFR 172.665
Official source: US FDA — Substances Added to Food, Gellan Gum
3. European Union
In the European Union, gellan gum is:
E 418 — Gellan gum
There are two important regulations to look at.
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008
This is the main EU regulation covering food additives and their conditions of use.
Gellan gum appears as:
E 418 — Gellan gum
The conditions depend on the food category.
In some applications, gellan gum is listed at quantum satis.
Quantum satis does not mean that the additive can simply be used without limits. It means that it should be used according to the applicable conditions and at a level no higher than needed to achieve the intended technological effect.
So the actual food category still needs to be checked.
Regulation (EU) No 231/2012
This regulation covers the specifications of food additives.
The E 418 entry gives the identity and purity requirements for gellan gum.
This gives a simple way to remember the two regulations:
Regulation 1333/2008 → where and how E 418 can be used
Regulation 231/2012 → what the E 418 ingredient needs to meet
Name
- English: Gellan gum
- EU number: E 418
Official source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008
Official source: EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) No 231/2012
4. United Kingdom
The UK needs to be considered separately from the EU.
For Great Britain — England, Scotland and Wales, gellan gum is listed as:
E 418 — Gellan gum
The UK's food additive system uses assimilated versions of the relevant EU legislation.
The UK Food Standards Agency lists E 418 and provides the applicable specification and authorization information.
So for Great Britain, the basic reference is:
E 418 — Gellan gum
with the applicable UK food additive rules.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is different because EU food law continues to apply in relevant areas under the Windsor Framework.
Therefore, if a customer simply says:
> "UK market"
it is worth confirming whether the product will be sold in Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
Name
- English: Gellan gum
- E number: E 418
Official source: UK Food Standards Agency — E 418 Gellan gum
5. Canada
Canada regulates food additives through Health Canada's Lists of Permitted Food Additives.
Gellan gum appears in the:
List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents
The Canadian list is particularly useful because it gives the food category and the permitted level.
For example, the current list includes gellan gum at:
- 3,000 ppm for aspics, unstandardized fruit spreads and unstandardized processed fruit products
- 350 ppm for beverage whiteners
- 1,000 ppm for filling mixes, fillings, pudding mixes, puddings, unstandardized dressings and unstandardized gelatins
- 5,000 ppm for frostings and unstandardized confectionery
- 1,500 ppm for certain flavoured milks
- 2,500 ppm for calorie-reduced margarine when used alone, subject to the conditions in the list
- 500 ppm for topping mixes, toppings, unstandardized sauces and unstandardized table syrups
- 1,000 ppm of the dry mix for unstandardized bakery products
- 800 ppm for unstandardized beverages
- 1,500 ppm for unstandardized dairy products
Some applications are subject to Good Manufacturing Practice rather than one fixed numerical limit.
So in Canada, it is better to ask:
> "Is gellan gum permitted in this particular food, and what is the permitted level?"
rather than simply:
> "Is gellan gum allowed in Canada?"
Name
- English: Gellan gum
Official source: Health Canada — List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents
6. China
China is a good example of why the specification of the ingredient and the use of the ingredient need to be checked separately.
The Chinese name is:
English: Gellan gum
Chinese: 结冷胶
GB 25535-2010
The full title is:
GB 25535-2010 — Food Safety National Standard for Food Additive Gellan Gum
Chinese:
GB 25535-2010《食品安全国家标准 食品添加剂 结冷胶》
This standard is about gellan gum itself.
It covers the requirements and specifications that the food additive needs to meet.
In simple terms:
GB 25535 → what the gellan gum product should meet
GB 2760-2024
The second important standard is:
GB 2760-2024 — Food Safety National Standard for the Use of Food Additives
Chinese:
GB 2760-2024《食品安全国家标准 食品添加剂使用标准》
This standard deals with the use of food additives in foods.
So:
GB 2760 → where and how gellan gum can be used in food
This distinction matters in actual business.
A gellan gum product can meet GB 25535, but that does not by itself answer whether the customer's particular food can use gellan gum.
For that question, the relevant food category and conditions under GB 2760 need to be checked.
China: 2026 update
China also made a recent change concerning gellan gum.
In 2026, China expanded the permitted use of gellan gum to cream, food category 01.05.01.
The official announcement explains the change and refers to GB 25535 for the quality specification of the additive.
This is a good example of why the current Chinese food additive rules should be checked rather than relying on an old product specification or an old customer document.
Name
- English: Gellan gum
- Chinese: 结冷胶
- CAS: 71010-52-1
- Ingredient specification: GB 25535-2010
- Food-use standard: GB 2760-2024
Official source: China National Health Commission — GB 25535-2010
Official source: China National Health Commission — GB 2760-2024
Official source: China National Health Commission — 2026 food additive approval/update notice
7. Japan
Japan has its own food additive system and does not use the EU E-number system as its main regulatory system.
The name used for gellan gum in Japan is:
English: Gellan gum
Japanese: ジェランガム
The official Japanese specification also uses:
ジェラン多糖類
Japan's official Specifications and Standards for Food Additives include gellan gum.
The specification includes:
- CAS No. 71010-52-1
- Assay: 85.0–108.0% on the dried basis
- Description
- Identification tests
- Purity requirements
Japan also has separate rules for the use of food additives in foods.
So, as with China and the EU, it is useful to separate:
Specification of the additive
from
Use of the additive in the finished food
The Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency provides both Japanese and English information for the official food additive standards. The Japanese text remains the primary reference.
Name
- English: Gellan gum
- Japanese: ジェランガム
- Other name in the specification: ジェラン多糖類
Official source: Japan Consumer Affairs Agency — Official Standards for Food Additives
8. Australia and New Zealand
Australia and New Zealand regulate food additives through the:
Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
Gellan gum is listed as:
Gellan gum — INS 418
Its technological functions include:
- Gelling agent
- Stabiliser
- Thickener
The Food Standards Code lists gellan gum under the relevant food additive provisions and uses GMP for the applicable maximum level in the relevant general listing.
GMP does not mean that the additive can simply be used at any level.
The amount still needs to be appropriate for the intended technological function and comply with the applicable food category requirements.
For an Australian or New Zealand product, the current Food Standards Code should therefore be checked against the actual food category.
Name
- English: Gellan gum
- INS: 418
Official source: Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) — Food Standards Code
9. India
India regulates food additives through the:
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
Gellan gum is listed as:
Gellan gum — INS 418
It is used as a food additive in permitted food categories, with the applicable conditions shown in the FSSAI food additive tables.
For some categories, the listed maximum level is GMP.
The actual food category still needs to be checked.
So an Indian regulatory check should not stop at:
> "Gellan gum is INS 418."
The food category and the corresponding FSSAI provision should also be checked.
Name
- English: Gellan gum
- INS: 418
Official source: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India — Food Additives Regulations / Appendix A
10. South Korea
South Korea regulates food additives through the:
Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS)
The Korean name for gellan gum is:
English: Gellan gum
Korean: 겔란검
Gellan gum is included in the Korean:
Food Additives Code — 식품첨가물의 기준 및 규격
The MFDS Food Additives Code covers the specifications and standards for food additives.
For Korean products, the relevant points include:
- Identity of the additive
- Specification
- Permitted food categories
- Conditions of use
- Maximum levels where applicable
- Korean labeling requirements
MFDS provides English-language information for some regulatory documents, but the Korean official text is the primary legal reference.
Name
- English: Gellan gum
- Korean: 겔란검
Official source: Korea MFDS — Food Additives Code
11. Brazil
Brazil uses the INS numbering system for food additives.
Gellan gum is known as:
English: Gellan gum
Portuguese: Goma gelana
INS: 418
Food additive regulations in Brazil are administered mainly by ANVISA.
Gellan gum is used as a food additive with functions such as:
- Stabilizer
- Thickener
- Gelling agent
As in other countries, the specific food category matters.
Brazil also has specific rules for certain products containing gelling agents, so an ingredient being listed as INS 418 does not automatically answer every question about a finished food.
For a Brazilian product, the applicable ANVISA food category and additive conditions should be checked.
Name
- English: Gellan gum
- Portuguese: Goma gelana
- INS: 418
Official source: ANVISA — Food Additives and Food Technology regulations
12. Why can the same gellan gum have different rules in different countries?
This is one of the confusing parts of international food additive regulations.
A supplier may sell essentially the same gellan gum to customers in:
- China
- United States
- European Union
- Canada
- Japan
- Australia
- India
- South Korea
- Brazil
But the regulatory documents requested by those customers can be quite different.
The reason is simple:
Each market has its own food additive system.
| Market | English name | Local name | Main reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codex | Gellan gum | — | INS 418 / GSFA |
| United States | Gellan gum | — | 21 CFR 172.665 |
| European Union | Gellan gum | — | E 418 / 1333/2008 / 231/2012 |
| Great Britain | Gellan gum | — | E 418 / UK food additive regulations |
| Canada | Gellan gum | — | Health Canada permitted list |
| China | Gellan gum | 结冷胶 | GB 25535 / GB 2760 |
| Japan | Gellan gum | ジェランガム | Japanese Food Additive Standards |
| Australia/New Zealand | Gellan gum | — | Food Standards Code / INS 418 |
| India | Gellan gum | — | FSSAI / INS 418 |
| South Korea | Gellan gum | 겔란검 | MFDS Food Additives Code |
| Brazil | Gellan gum | Goma gelana | ANVISA / INS 418 |
Not every country has a special local-language name that is normally used in its food regulations.
For example, in India and Australia/New Zealand, Gellan gum / INS 418 is generally more useful than adding an unofficial local translation.
13. Specification standard vs. food-use regulation
This is one of the most useful things to understand when dealing with gellan gum regulations.
Suppose a customer asks:
> "Does your gellan gum comply with GB 25535?"
They are mainly asking about the specification of the gellan gum itself.
But if they ask:
> "Can we use your gellan gum in our beverage in China?"
that is a different question.
Now the food-use regulation needs to be checked.
The same basic idea appears in several markets.
China
GB 25535 → specification of gellan gum
GB 2760 → use of food additives in foods
European Union
Regulation 231/2012 → additive specifications
Regulation 1333/2008 → food additive use
United States
21 CFR 172.665 → regulatory requirements for gellan gum
Japan
Food additive specifications → identity and quality
Food additive use requirements → permitted applications and conditions
This is why a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and a food additive regulation are not the same thing.
A COA shows the test results for a particular batch.
A regulation tells you whether the ingredient can be used and under what conditions.
14. What should a gellan gum buyer ask a supplier for?
The exact document list depends on the market and the customer.
For a normal food-grade gellan gum purchase, a buyer may ask for:
- Product specification
- Certificate of Analysis (COA)
- Food-grade statement
- Regulatory compliance statement
- GMO statement
- Allergen statement
- Heavy metal statement
- Microbiological specification or report
- Pesticide statement
- Residual solvent statement, where applicable
- BSE/TSE statement
- Country-specific compliance documents
- Product labeling information
A large food company may ask for many additional supplier qualification documents.
That does not necessarily mean every document is required by food law.
Some documents are simply part of the customer's internal supplier approval process.
This distinction is important when dealing with long compliance questionnaires.
15. What about food labeling?
The ingredient itself and the finished food label are two separate issues.
A country may permit gellan gum, but the finished product still needs to declare the additive according to that country's labeling rules.
Depending on the market, it may appear as:
Gellan gum
or
E 418
or under the locally required additive name or numbering system.
Examples include:
- EU: E 418
- China: 结冷胶
- Japan: ジェランガム
- South Korea: 겔란검
- Brazil: Goma gelana / INS 418
The exact declaration should be checked against the labeling rules for the finished food.
16. How to check gellan gum regulations for a new product
If you are developing a new food product, you usually do not need to read an entire food law from beginning to end.
A practical approach is to work through these questions.
Step 1 — What is the food?
For example:
- Plant-based milk
- Flavoured milk
- Beverage
- Juice drink
- Dessert
- Sauce
- Bakery product
- Fruit preparation
- Confectionery
- Dairy product
- Food supplement
Step 2 — What is the food category?
The same additive can have different conditions in different food categories.
This is especially important in markets with detailed food-category systems.
Step 3 — Is gellan gum permitted?
Search for:
Gellan gum
E 418
INS 418
or the local name used by the country's regulator.
Step 4 — What is the permitted level?
The rule may be:
- A specific maximum level
- GMP
- Quantum satis
- Another specific condition
Do not assume that a permitted additive can automatically be used at the same level in every food.
Step 5 — Does the gellan gum itself meet the required specification?
This is where ingredient specifications such as:
- GB 25535
- EU Regulation 231/2012
- 21 CFR 172.665
- Japanese food additive specifications
become relevant.
Step 6 — Check the label
Finally, check how the additive needs to appear on the finished product label.
17. A simple example
Suppose a company wants to develop a plant-based milk containing gellan gum.
It should not simply ask:
> "Is gellan gum legal?"
Instead, it should ask:
United States
Can gellan gum be used in this product under 21 CFR 172.665?
European Union
Is E 418 permitted in the specific food category, and what conditions apply under Regulation 1333/2008?
China
Does the use comply with GB 2760, and does the gellan gum itself meet GB 25535?
Canada
Does the product fall within a permitted Canadian food category, and what maximum level applies?
Japan
Does the product meet the Japanese food additive use requirements, and does the ingredient meet the Japanese specification?
The ingredient may be the same, but the regulatory answer can be different from one market to another.
18. The main point
Gellan gum is recognised in major international food additive systems, but there is no single worldwide rule covering every food and every country.
The easiest way to understand the regulations is to separate four questions:
1. What is the additive called in this market?
2. Is gellan gum permitted in this market?
3. Is it permitted in this particular food, and under what conditions?
4. Does the gellan gum itself meet the required specification?
For international trade, it is also useful to check the labeling requirements and the customer's own supplier qualification requirements.
Food additive regulations can change over time, so the current official rules should always be checked before launching a product or exporting a food product to a new market.
Official Sources
- Codex Alimentarius — General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA)
- US FDA — Gellan Gum / 21 CFR §172.665
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EU) No 231/2012: Specifications for food additives
- UK Food Standards Agency — E 418 Gellan Gum
- Health Canada — List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing or Thickening Agents
- China National Health Commission — GB 25535-2010 食品添加剂 结冷胶
- China National Health Commission — GB 2760-2024 食品添加剂使用标准
- Japan Consumer Affairs Agency — Official Standards for Food Additives
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) — Food Standards Code
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) — Food Additives
- Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) — Food Additives Code
- Brazil ANVISA — Food Additives and Technology
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