Wheat free food fact file
Xanthan gum
Xanthan gum is used as a thickening agent in the manufacture of certain foods and is similar to guar gum which is used for the same purpose. It is also commonly used as a gluten substitute in wheat free and gluten free cooking.
When wheat free or gluten free products are made using alternative flours to wheat they require help with elasticity to hold them together, and for wheat free and gluten free bread making it helps to hold in the gases formed by yeast fermentation.
Xanthan gum can also be used for thickening sauces.
Although it is still fairly expensive to buy, it is reasonably easy to find for sale in major supermarkets, health food and wholefood stores.
quantities:
Bread - 1.5 tsp per 500g* wheat free or gluten free flourPastry & cakes - 1 tsp per 500g* wheat free or gluten free flour
*Recommended quantities for use of Xanthan gum manufactured by Suma.
cooking:
Use in any recipes requiring added elasticity to replace the loss of gluten from not using wheat flours.storing:
Has a shelf life (which is generally quite long), and should be stored in an airtight container in a cool area.
alternative names:
E415 ( food industry)
nutritional information:
Typical values per 100g of product
Energy - 209kJ/50kcal
Protein - 6.0g
Carbohydrate - 81g
Fat - 0g
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