Gellan Gum Formula for Oat Milk

The following formula is provided for reference and product development trials only. Actual formulation should be adjusted according to raw materials, processing conditions, and final product requirements.

Oat milk has become one of the most popular plant-based beverages, but maintaining stability during storage can be challenging.

Because oat milk contains natural starch, fine particles, and other components, separation, sedimentation, and texture changes may occur over time.

Gellan gum can help improve suspension stability and create a smoother drinking experience when used at an appropriate level.

Basic Oat Milk Formula

For 100 kg finished oat milk:

Water: q.s. to 100 kg
Oat base or oat extract: 5–15 kg
Vegetable oil: 1–3 kg
Sugar: 2–8 kg
Gellan gum: 30–50 g
Salt: 0.1–0.3 kg
Flavor: as required
Other ingredients: as required

Recommended starting range:

Gellan gum: 0.03–0.05%

Equivalent to:

30–50 g gellan gum per 100 kg oat milk

Why Add Gellan Gum to Oat Milk?

Oat milk is not simply a mixture of water and oats.

The system contains:

* oat particles
* starch components
* natural fibers
* oil droplets
* minerals

During storage, these components may move or separate.

A suitable amount of gellan gum can create a gentle stabilizing structure that helps keep the system uniform.

The target is usually:

* good suspension
* smooth mouthfeel
* low sedimentation
* stable appearance

not a gel texture.

Suggested Processing Method

1. Prepare the water phase and begin mixing.

2. Premix gellan gum with sugar or another dry ingredient.

3. Slowly add the dry mixture under agitation.

4. Heat the system to approximately:

85–90°C

to allow proper gellan gum hydration.

5. Add oat ingredients, oil, flavor, and other components according to the selected process.

6. Homogenize if required.

7. Cool and evaluate the final beverage.

Starting Trial Design

For new oat milk development, it is usually better to test several gellan gum levels.

Example:

Trial A:

0.02% gellan gum

Trial B:

0.03% gellan gum

Trial C:

0.04% gellan gum

Trial D:

0.05% gellan gum

Compare:

* sedimentation after storage
* viscosity
* mouthfeel
* appearance
* stability after temperature changes

What If Oat Milk Becomes Too Thick?

If the product develops an undesirable texture, reduce the gellan gum dosage.

For example:

0.05% → 0.03%

Do not increase other ingredients at the same time, because it becomes difficult to identify the cause.

What If Sedimentation Still Happens?

Increasing gellan gum is one possible adjustment, but several other factors should also be checked:

* oat particle size
* filtration process
* homogenization pressure
* mineral content
* pH
* heating conditions
* storage temperature

The same gellan gum level may perform differently in different oat milk systems.

Practical Starting Formula

For a first oat milk trial:

100 kg oat milk

*

30–50 g gellan gum

*

hydration at 85–90°C

is a practical starting point.

Further optimization should be carried out based on the actual oat raw materials, production equipment, and expected product characteristics.