Low-Acyl Gellan Gum Helps Replace Up to 75% of Shortening in Muffins

A new study published in Food Hydrocolloids in June 2026 investigated low-acyl gellan gum (LA gellan gum) as part of a structured system designed to reduce shortening in muffins.

The researchers developed a bigel-based foamed emulsion containing a monoglyceride oleogel and a low-acyl gellan gum hydrogel. The gellan gum was not simply used as a thickener. Instead, it helped build and strengthen the water-phase network of the system.

As the LA gellan gum concentration increased, the researchers observed higher hardness, adhesiveness, elasticity, viscoelastic strength, phase stability, and thermal resistance. The gellan gum also improved serum retention and the stability of the aerated structure.

The resulting foamed emulsions were tested in muffins as a replacement for shortening. Formulations replacing up to 75% of the shortening maintained several important quality characteristics, including moisture, water activity, texture, and color, although the highest replacement level showed some change in specific volume.

The study is interesting because it demonstrates another role for LA gellan gum in bakery applications:

gellan gum can act as a structural component in a reduced-fat system, rather than simply functioning as a conventional thickener or stabilizer.

The study used commercial low-acyl gellan gum with an acetylation degree of 25%. The researchers purchased the gellan gum from Qiaoli Co., Ltd. in Shanghai, China.

Why it matters

This work points to a broader application of gellan gum in structured food systems:

LA gellan gum → hydrogel network → stronger bigel structure → more stable foamed emulsion → reduced dependence on solid fat

It does not mean that gellan gum directly replaces 75% of the fat. Rather, the gellan-containing structured system was able to replace up to 75% of the shortening used in the muffin formulation while maintaining many quality parameters.

Source: Adili et al., “Design and characterization of low-acyl gellan gum–monoglyceride bigel-based foamed emulsions: Application as a solid fat substitute in an aerated bakery system,” Food Hydrocolloids, Volume 175, June 2026, Article 112515.

Official paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2026.112515