Fermentation hydrocolloid · E415 / INS 415 · CAS 11138-66-2
Food grade xanthan gum (E415 / INS 415) is a fermentation-derived thickener and stabilizer used in sauces, dressings, beverages and other food systems. Bespring supplies 80 and 200 mesh powder against an agreed specification. Confirm viscosity test conditions, dispersion needs, microbiological limits and the destination food standard before ordering.
*Commercial reference; confirm current source, method, packing and availability.
Product identity and function
Xanthan gum is a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide obtained by pure-culture fermentation of a carbohydrate with Xanthomonas campestris, followed by alcohol recovery, drying and milling. The JECFA 2016 specification identifies INS 415, CAS 11138-66-2 and sodium, potassium or calcium salt forms. It is a polymer rather than a substance with one fixed small-molecule formula or molecular weight; the offered source and grade should be identified in the specification.
JECFA lists thickening, stabilizing, emulsifying and foaming functions. For food formulation, xanthan is commonly selected for aqueous-phase viscosity and suspension: shear-thinning means viscosity decreases as shear rate increases. Validate pouring, pumping, separation and sensory performance in the complete formula; a general function does not guarantee emulsion stability or preservation.
Particle engineering and hydration
Mesh describes particle-size screening, not the full grade. It does not by itself prove viscosity, clarity, microbiological quality or easy dispersion.
Can be considered for general food processing where the validated addition method gives complete hydration.
Provides a finer powder, but finer particles can wet and hydrate rapidly at the surface, increasing lump risk when poorly dispersed.
An easy-dispersing designation needs source-specific grade information and a defined performance test. Agglomerated and other engineered grades are distinct from sieve size; neither 80 nor 200 mesh alone establishes instant performance.
Grade boundary: transparent-solution, rapid-hydration, low-dust, low-microbial or salt-tolerant grades are separate performance claims. Request a source-specific grade and evidence before using those descriptions.
Application-specific rheology
Select a grade for the food matrix and process below, then establish the use level through formulation trials and applicable rules. U.S. 21 CFR 172.695 permits specified food functions under good manufacturing practice where food standards of identity do not preclude use; it also sets identity, manufacturing and testing conditions. E415 / INS 415 identifies the additive, not permission for every food or market.
Target suspension and cling at rest with pour or pump flow under shear. Test yield behavior, mouthfeel, oil separation, acid/salt effects and viscosity recovery after processing.
Screen particle suspension and phase stability without excessive ropiness. Record hydration order, clarity/turbidity, protein/mineral interactions, heat treatment and sediment over shelf life.
Evaluate water binding and structure with starches, proteins and other gums. Measure dough handling, gas retention, bake loss, crumb texture and staling rather than assuming a universal replacement ratio.
Assess water mobility, freeze-thaw stability, syneresis and texture through the intended temperature cycle. The stabilizer system and solids profile influence the result.
Specification and acceptance methods
The following commercial references cover 80 and 200 mesh xanthan gum; they are not measured batch results. Complete methods and reporting bases need to be agreed in the offered grade’s specification. Use the lot-specific COA for acceptance.
Scroll the table horizontally on small screens to read the method notes.
| Test item | Commercial limit | Qualification note |
|---|---|---|
| Particle size | “≥80 mesh”; 80 and 200 mesh offered | Specify sieve standard and percentage passing for the chosen mesh; “≥80 mesh” does not define a 200-mesh acceptance limit. |
| Loss on drying | ≤13.00% | Below JECFA’s 15% maximum numerically; confirm the same 105°C / 2.5 h drying procedure and reporting basis. |
| pH | 6.0–8.0 | Confirm solution concentration, medium, temperature and measurement procedure; these conditions need to be defined for the offered grade. |
| Ash | ≤15.00% | Below JECFA’s 16% total-ash maximum numerically; confirm preparation after drying and the ash method. Do not substitute sulfated ash. |
| Shear value | ≥6.50 | Confirm the viscosity readings, speeds and calculation defining this value. It is not the 1.02–1.45 temperature viscosity ratio in 21 CFR 172.695. |
| Viscosity | 1,200–1,700 mPa·s | Confirm concentration, water/KCl medium, hydration time, temperature, instrument, spindle, speed and reading time. These conditions are not specified for this commercial range. |
| Pyruvic acid | ≥1.5% | Same numerical minimum as JECFA; verify test and basis. The U.S. provision has a separate positive pyruvic-acid identity test. |
| Total nitrogen | ≤1.5% | Same numerical JECFA maximum; confirm the Kjeldahl method and reporting basis. |
| Heavy metals | ≤20 ppm | 20 ppm is 20 mg/kg on a mass basis. Confirm whether the aggregate result is expressed as Pb; it does not replace individual lead or other elemental tests. |
| Lead | ≤2 mg/kg | JECFA general-use maximum is 2 mg/kg; its infant-formula and infant medical-formula limit is 0.5 mg/kg. This reference limit does not establish infant-use suitability. |
| Total plate count | ≤2,000 CFU/g | Below JECFA’s 5,000 CFU/g maximum numerically; confirm media, incubation, sample preparation and counting method. |
| Coliforms | Not detected in 5 g | Coliforms and E. coli are different reporting targets. Obtain a separate E. coli result with its test method; a coliform statement is not that result. |
| Yeasts and moulds | ≤500 CFU/g | Same numerical JECFA maximum; confirm the combined count, method and detection limit. |
| Salmonella | Not detected in 10 g | Confirm method and sampling plan for the stated 10 g portion. JECFA’s “negative by test” includes a defined procedure; wording alone does not establish equivalence. |
The JECFA 2016 monograph, pp. 116–119 also specifies identity, a dried-basis carbon-dioxide assay, residual ethanol/isopropanol and E. coli. These are absent from the commercial table. The assay is a defined CO2 determination, not a direct measurement of polymer purity or a substitute for viscosity testing.
Review the FAO JECFA xanthan gum recordRequest the current specification, methods, TDS, SDS and a representative or lot-specific COA; confirm document availability and certificate scope for the offered source. For U.S. qualification, 21 CFR 172.695(d) separately defines manufacturing/identity criteria, residual isopropyl alcohol, viscosity and temperature-ratio tests. The 1,200–1,700 mPa·s range alone proves neither JECFA nor U.S. conformity.
Prevent incomplete hydration
If a trial gives unexpectedly low viscosity, check dispersion, hydration and measurement conditions before concluding that the grade is unsuitable. Use a controlled comparison against your approved reference.
Record batch size, water temperature and hardness, pH, salts, sugars, proteins, oils and other hydrocolloids.
Add at the point of adequate agitation or pre-disperse by an approved dry blend/oil-slurry route. Avoid dumping powder onto a quiet surface.
Fix addition rate, mixer type, speed, time and ingredient order. High sugar or salt concentration can delay water access and full hydration.
Compare viscosity at defined shear rates, flow after pumping/pouring, suspension at rest and recovery after shear.
Repeat heat, homogenization, filling, freeze-thaw and storage conditions; track separation, syneresis, texture and sensory acceptance.
Translate the successful trial into agreed mesh distribution, viscosity method, microbiological limits and batch acceptance criteria.
Commercial references
Reference loading differs by particle option and pallet choice. Reconfirm bag construction, dimensions, pallet pattern and legal payload for every route.
Certificates: request applicable Kosher, Halal and ISO documents and check the exact grade, manufacturer/site, certificate owner, scope and validity period before approval.
Storage and handling
Product and handling images
Buyer questions
No. Mesh describes sieve size, while easy dispersion is a grade-specific performance claim. Ask for the passing percentage and a dispersion/hydration test under your addition conditions; finer powder can still lump if added too quickly or with insufficient mixing.
Match concentration, medium (water or KCl solution), hydration procedure and time, temperature, instrument, spindle, speed or shear rate, and reading time. One mPa·s equals one cP, but values measured under different conditions are not directly comparable.
No. A shear ratio compares viscosity at defined shear conditions; the supplier must state its calculation and readings. The temperature ratio in 21 CFR 172.695 compares viscosities at 75°F and 150°F. Do not use that ratio to interpret the commercial shear value of ≥6.50.
In the JECFA identity test, xanthan with carob/locust bean gum forms a firm gel, while the 1% xanthan-only control does not under the same conditions. Formulation texture and interactions with other gums require a food-system trial.
No. Complete methods, identity, dried-basis carbon-dioxide assay, residual-solvent and E. coli evidence are required in addition to numerical limits. The listed lead limit is a general-use reference and does not establish suitability for infant formula. A batch COA must identify the lot, agreed specification and reported results.
Do not assume an equal-weight substitution. These hydrocolloids differ in hydration, flow and gel behavior. Compare the specific grades under matched pH, salt, solids, processing and storage conditions, then validate the target suspension, texture and sensory result.
State food grade and destination standard, 80/200 mesh or dispersion requirement, viscosity target and method, application and process, microbiological limits, quantity, packaging, pallet preference, destination port, Incoterm and delivery needs. List required specification, COA, TDS, SDS and source-specific certificates so availability and scope can be confirmed.
Hydrocolloid selection
Compare thickening, gelling, suspension and stabilization routes across the product family.
Compare hydration, body, cost-in-use and xanthan/guar interactions in the target system.
Evaluate gelling and protein-reactive options where xanthan's flow profile is not sufficient.
Compare fluid-gel suspension and ion-dependent structuring for beverages and other foods.
Connect viscosity selection with cling, pumping, filling, emulsion stability and shelf testing.
Evaluate suspension, clarity, minerals, proteins and processing as one beverage system.
Method-defined sourcing
Share the destination food standard, viscosity test conditions and process needs to compare the offered mesh and grade. Request the current specification, COA, TDS, SDS and any required source-specific certificates; document availability and scope are confirmed at quotation.