Gums

Gums are defined as water soluble or swellable polysaccharides and polysaccharides derivatives. 

Polysaccharides are used in the food industry because they are widely available, usually of low cost and non toxic.

Distinct from polysaccharides that form gels are a group of polysaccharides that are called gums.

The principal property of polysaccharides gums is they have a high affinity for water and give high viscosity aqueous solutions, but are not able to form gel.

The reason for this is that all gums possess structures that incorporate a very high degree of branching or highly interrupted chains.

This prevents the formation of junction zones that are a feature of polysaccharide gels.

Gums are used by the food industry to thicken, increase viscosity of gel, stabilize, and/or emulsify certain processed foods. They generally thicken or gel aqueous systems at low concentrations.

Gums commonly used in foods are starches, cellulose derivatives, guar gum, locust bean gum, pectin, algin, carrageenan, xanthan and gum arabic and to a much lesser extent agar and gums, ghatti, karaya and tragacanth.

They impart body, texture, and mouthfeel to foods, while also making it less likely that dispersed ingredients will separate.

Gums are also used in many frozen products because they control crystal growth, yield optimal texture, and make the food more stable in the freezing and thawing process.
Gums