Shopping Smart: Breaking down ‘gum’ ingredients

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Xantham gum is an ingredient in pickle relish and many other foods. It also is common in gluten-free cooking. | Rich Hein~Sun-Times

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Updated: July 19, 2011 12:19AM

More of us are reading labels than ever before. We look to see where our foods come from — China, or a farm 20 miles away? Do our foods contain trans fats, or is the sodium level, or sugars, too high?

And what about those ingredients? Mostly, we look for ingredients to avoid.

There are ingredients we know and can easily identify — such as olive oil, tomatoes, garlic and sugar — but then there are those we can only guess at. With food allergies on the rise, it gets even trickier.

A good example of ingredients not easily identifiable are the gums found in many food products.

Let’s start with what a “gum” is. According to the International Food Additive Council, food gums are “complex carbohydrates which are derived primarily from plants and used as thickeners, gel-forming agents and/or stabilizing agents in food.”

These gums have no (or very little) flavor on their own and often are used to replace fats and add dietary fiber to food products. Gluten-free foods often contain gums as they are non-toxic and are not allergenic. Many shoppers are relieved to find out that most gums are natural and even used in organic food production.

Here are some of the most common and interesting gums found on ingredient labels, as well as those that can make great substitutions in allergy-free cooking and baking.

Acacia gum

Also called gum arabic, it comes from the bark of the acacia tree and is primarily used as an emulsifying, stabilizing and thickening agent in ice cream, candy and syrups.

Agar or kanten

It is derived from red algae or seaweed. Historically and today, it is used throughout Asia as an ingredient in desserts like jellies, custards and puddings. Agar is sold in packages as washed dried strips or in powdered form; it is white and semi-translucent.

It is approximately 80 percent fiber, so it can serve as an intestinal regulator as well as help you feel fuller longer because, once ingested, it triples in size and absorbs water. Its bulking quality is behind one of the latest fad diets in Asia.

That aside, it’s a great substitute for gelatin and as a thickening agent. Refer to individual packages for substitution instructions.

Arrowroot

This thickener is derived from a large perennial herb found in rainforests. Pure arrowroot, like other pure starches, is a light, white powder that expands and jells when combined with water; when cooked, the end product is clear.

It is used in cookies, jellies, puddings, hot sauces, sweet and sour sauce and more. It also is popular in Korean and Vietnamese cooking. Arrowroot prevents ice crystals, or freezer burn, from forming in homemade ice cream.

Arrowroot is gluten-free; there are a variety of baked goods that use arrowroot flour.

When cooking, substitute 2 teaspoons of arrowroot for 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

Carrageenan

It is extracted from red seaweed (also known as Irish Moss), and has been used as a food additive for hundreds of years. It is considered a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin.

There has been some dispute regarding the safety of carrageenan. In 2007, a joint committee of the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization recommended that carrageenan should not be used in infant formulas, and that a new dietary exposure evaluation be undertaken for more comprehensive testing.

Other studies have found it to induce inflammatory reaction in the intestines of animals (no tests have been performed on humans that I have found).

The Food and Drug Administration, while recognizing possible safety issues, has not limited carrageenan use in foods, as it appears that the less processed the seaweed is, the better. Reading labels and making sure not all of the foods you consume contain carrageenan is a great place to start.

Guar gum

It is derived from guar beans, an annual legume principally grown in India and Pakistan, with smaller amounts grown in the United States. It is processed into a powder with a pale to off-white color.

In baked goods, guar gum increases dough yield and improves texture and shelf life. It is used to thicken and stabilize yogurt, kefir and some liquid cheese products.

Guar gum is sometimes found in meat, where it functions as a binder. It also improves the stability and appearance of dressings, barbecue sauces and other condiments.

Guar gum is so popular in food preparation because it is up to eight times as thickening as corn starch. Beans are notoriously difficult to digest, so anyone with a food allergy-compromised digestive system should read labels and pay attention to find out if guar gum is a friend or foe.

Locust bean gum

Also called carob gum or carubin, it comes from the seeds of the carob tree. It has been used since ancient times for its thickening properties, both culinary and otherwise — the Egyptians used it to paste bandages onto mummies.

It is now added to dressings and ice creams, and is a useful thickening alternative to corn or wheat products in pie fillings.

Xanthan gum

Developed in the United States in the ’60s, it is the slimy result of the fermentation that takes place when a type of bacteria (the type that causes black rot to form on vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower!) is mixed with corn sugar.

It is very popular in food production — especially in salad dressings and ice cream — as it creates a flowing, gelatinous, homogenized texture. Xanthan gum is common in gluten-free recipes.

Anyone with corn allergies would do well to avoid xantham gum; some people are specifically allergic to it.

Confused by ingredients? E-mail me at Phil@Supermarket Guru.com and let me know which ones are the most challenging when you shop. If we use your e-mail, I will send you a SupermarketGuru canvas tote bag and a copy of my new public television special, “Food Sense.”

Phil Lempert is the editor of
SupermarketGuru.com and reports on the latest trends on NBC’s “Today” show, ABC’s “The View” and local Chicago news programs.