Tool 01 · Estimate a starting point
Gellan Gum Dosage Calculator
Describe the product and the process, and get a starting dosage range with the grade, ion system and hydration temperature that go with it.
Before you use these numbers
- Gellan gum is dosed by outcome, not by rule: the same polymer behaves differently at a different water hardness, total solids, grade and fill temperature.
- Low acyl gellan gum needs a divalent cation to gel, so a soft-water system will thicken without setting however much is added.
- Dosage ranges on this site describe where most products land; they are a starting point for a bench trial, not a specification.
- The authoritative figures are the specification in the Technical Handbook §4 and the limits in the Method of Analysis Appendix B.
These are directional starting points for bench work, not specifications. Confirm them in your own system, with your own grade and your own water.
Already published on E418.org
How the estimate is built
The arithmetic behind the number
A base range, then four multipliers.
The calculator starts from the reference range for the selected application and multiplies it by one factor for each answer. Every multiplier is coarse on purpose: they describe which way a variable pushes the dose and roughly how far, so that you know what to change first when a trial misses.
Texture target
| Answer | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension only | ×1.00 | ×1.00 |
| Body and thickness | ×1.10 | ×1.20 |
| Soft elastic gel | ×1.15 | ×1.30 |
| Firm brittle gel | ×1.20 | ×1.40 |
| Heat-stable gel | ×1.25 | ×1.50 |
Ion environment
| Answer | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| No free divalent cations | ×1.15 | ×1.30 |
| Some native ions | ×1.00 | ×1.05 |
| High calcium or magnesium | ×0.85 | ×0.95 |
Finished pH
| Answer | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Below pH 3.5 | ×1.20 | ×1.30 |
| pH 3.5 to 5.0 | ×1.05 | ×1.10 |
| Above pH 5.0 | ×1.00 | ×1.00 |
Thermal process
| Answer | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Cold fill, no heat step | ×0.95 | ×1.00 |
| Pasteurised below 95 °C | ×1.00 | ×1.05 |
| UHT, retort or bake | ×1.10 | ×1.20 |
Other tools
Keep going
Three more decision aids for the same problem set.