High acyl gellan gum — soft, elastic, ion-tolerant gels

Key figures

• High acyl gellan gum sets at approximately 70–80 °C on cooling and melts at 65–80 °C on reheating, so its hysteresis is small.
• High acyl gellan gum is relatively insensitive to cations, while low acyl gellan gum is highly sensitive to Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺.
• Neutral plant protein drinks use high acyl gellan gum at 0.03–0.10%.
• Ready-to-drink tea and coffee use high acyl gellan gum at 0.01–0.05%, enough to prevent separation.

What to do

1. Confirm the process never exceeds about 90 °C. Above that the gel melts and re-sets unpredictably.
2. High acyl needs no added calcium, which is a real advantage in complex recipes that already carry minerals.
3. If the gel ends up too soft despite the dose, blend in 20–40% low acyl rather than adding more high acyl — the texture is set by the acyl content, not the dose.

Where this grade is the usual answer

• Neutral plant protein drinks and plant-based milk
• RTD tea and coffee at very low dosage
• Yoghurt, fermented milk and flavoured milk
• Soft, elastic confectionery where the gel gives before it breaks
• Any system with a heavy calcium or mineral load

High acyl is thermally reversible by design. It is the wrong grade for a retort or UHT step, and no amount of dosage will make it hold there.