How Gellan Gum and Whey Protein Can Be Used to Design Food Texture

A study published in Food Research International in May 2026 takes a different approach to gellan gum: instead of asking simply how strong a gel can become, the researchers investigated how gellan gum can be used to control the structure and texture of a protein-based gel.

The study examined mixed gels made from whey protein isolate (WPI) and gellan gum. The researchers varied both gellan gum concentration and ionic strength.

Gellan gum concentration ranged from 0 to 0.14%, while ionic strength ranged from 50 to 260 mM.

These changes produced six distinct gel microstructures. Depending on the conditions, the system could develop protein-continuous, bicontinuous, gellan-continuous, particulate, clustered, or fine-stranded structures.

Why does this matter?

Because the microstructure affected how the gel fractured and how it behaved during chewing.

Some structures produced higher fracture energy and delayed crack propagation. Other structures were softer and more easily deformed, while certain fine-stranded structures allowed faster fracture and different chewing behavior.

The researchers therefore connected several levels of food structure:

ionic strength + gellan concentration → microstructure → mechanical behavior → oral processing → perceived texture

The study also developed a Bayesian model to relate structural characteristics to texture perception, with a reported R² greater than 0.97.

What this means for gellan gum

This research represents a more advanced way of thinking about hydrocolloids.

Instead of using gellan gum simply because it “makes a gel,” formulators can potentially use its concentration and interactions with proteins and ions to help control the final structure and eating experience.

This is particularly relevant to protein-rich foods, dairy systems, and other products where texture is determined by interactions between proteins, polysaccharides, and mineral ions.

The study used low-acyl gellan gum together with whey protein isolate, NaCl, and CaCl₂.

Source: Yang Y., Yu J., Hao X., Qian S., “A multi-scale framework for texture design in whey protein–gellan gum mixed gels: From microstructure to sensation,” Food Research International, Volume 232, May 31, 2026, Article 118892.

Official paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118892