What Is E418?

E418 is the European food additive number for gellan gum.

Gellan gum is a microbial polysaccharide produced by fermentation. It is widely used as a gelling, stabilizing, suspending and texturizing agent in food, laboratory and other applications.

So when you see "E418" on an ingredient list, it refers to gellan gum.

What Does E418 Mean?

The "E" in E418 refers to the European system for identifying approved food additives.

E418 is the specific number assigned to gellan gum.

In other words:

E418 = Gellan Gum

They are not two different ingredients. "E418" is the additive designation, while "gellan gum" is the common and technical name.

What Is Gellan Gum?

Gellan gum is a polysaccharide produced by microbial fermentation.

It is different from many traditional plant-derived gums because it is produced by microorganisms rather than extracted directly from plants.

After fermentation, the gellan gum is recovered, purified, dried and processed into a fine powder.

When hydrated under suitable conditions, it can provide useful gel, stabilization and suspension properties.

What Does E418 Do?

E418 can perform several functions depending on the formulation.

It can be used as:

• A gelling agent

• A stabilizer

• A suspending agent

• A thickener

• A texturizing agent

One of the notable characteristics of gellan gum is that relatively small amounts can have a significant effect on the structure and stability of a formulation.

High Acyl and Low Acyl Gellan Gum

Commercial gellan gum is commonly available in two main forms:

• High Acyl (HA) gellan gum

• Low Acyl (LA) gellan gum

These two types can produce very different gel characteristics.

High acyl gellan gum generally produces softer and more elastic gels.

Low acyl gellan gum generally produces firmer, more brittle and often more transparent gels.

The choice between HA and LA depends on the application and the properties required in the final product.

Where Is E418 Used?

Gellan gum is used in a wide range of applications.

Examples include:

• Beverages

• Plant-based drinks

• Food products

• Jellies and gels

• Microbiology

• Plant tissue culture

• Laboratory media

• Other technical applications

The appropriate concentration and processing conditions depend heavily on the application.

Is E418 the Same as Gelrite or Phytagel?

E418 is the name of the food additive classification for gellan gum.

Gelrite and Phytagel are commercial product names associated with gellan gum products.

Therefore, these names should not automatically be treated as separate chemical classifications.

When selecting a product, it is important to look beyond the commercial name and check the actual composition and specifications.

E418 in Simple Terms

If you only remember one thing:

E418 is gellan gum.

It is a microbial polysaccharide with useful gelling, stabilizing and suspending properties.

The exact performance of E418 depends on the type of gellan gum, the formulation, processing conditions, concentration and other ingredients present.

This is why understanding the basic properties of gellan gum is important before selecting a grade or determining a dosage.

More About E418

E418 is only the starting point.

The next questions are more practical:

How does gellan gum form a gel?

What is the difference between high acyl and low acyl gellan gum?

How much gellan gum should be used?

And why can the same E418 behave differently in different formulations?

These topics are covered in the following articles on E418.org.