Xanthan Gum

Product Overview

Xanthan Gum (CAS No. 11138‑66‑2), also known as Xanthan, is an anionic high‑molecular‑weight extracellular polysaccharide polymer produced by fermentation of Xanthomonas campestris. It appears as free‑flowing white to pale‑yellow powder with no odour. It exhibits excellent water‑solubility and dissolves rapidly in both cold and hot water to form high‑viscosity colloidal solutions without heating.

As a mainstream biological thickener and stabilizer, xanthan gum features outstanding temperature resistance, acid‑alkali resistance, high‑salt tolerance, shear resistance and suspension‑stabilizing performance, with prominent pseudoplastic rheological behaviour. At low dosage, it delivers remarkable thickening, emulsifying, suspending and water‑retaining effects. Non‑toxic and biocompatible, it complies with multi‑level compliance standards for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial applications. Currently it is the most widely‑used functional biopolymer globally, extensively applied in food processing, oil‑well drilling, fine chemicals, cosmetics & pharmaceuticals, feed and other industries.

Basic Specifications

Production Process

Industrial‑grade xanthan gum is manufactured via submerged microbial liquid fermentation, a green biosynthetic route free of chemical‑synthesis contamination, which is the mainstream mass‑production process with full standardized control.

Strain Activation & Fermentation
Taking carbohydrates such as corn starch and glucose as main raw materials, supplemented by nitrogen sources and mineral salts to prepare fermentation medium. Inoculate with Xanthomonas campestris. Submerged fermentation proceeds under constant temperature, constant oxygen supply and controlled pH to produce crude xanthan gum broth.

Purification & Precipitation
After sterilization and inactivation of fermentation broth, food‑grade solvents such as ethanol or isopropanol are adopted for extraction, precipitation and desalting impurity‑removal, to eliminate fermentation residues and soluble impurities and obtain high‑purity xanthan gum colloid.

Dehydration, Drying, Milling & Classification
Purified colloid undergoes dehydration, low‑temperature drying, ultra‑fine grinding and sieve classification to produce food‑grade and industrial‑grade xanthan gum finished products of different mesh sizes and grades.

This mature process features large production capacity, high product purity and good batch‑to‑batch consistency, meeting high‑standard requirements of food, pharmaceutical and industrial fields.

Quality Standards

Commercial xanthan gum is mainly divided into food‑grade and industrial‑grade. Food‑grade products in China are implemented in accordance with national standard GB 1886.41‑2015 National Food Safety Standard - Food Additive: Xanthan Gum. Industrial‑grade products follow general industrial technical specifications with controllable core indicators.

Industrial Advantages of China

China is the world's largest producer and exporter of xanthan gum, ranking first globally in production capacity, output and export volume. With complete industrial‑chain support and mature bio‑fermentation technologies plus local raw‑material advantages, China possesses strong global‑market competitiveness.

Leading Production Capacity
High‑concentrated large‑scale bio‑fermentation facilities in China deliver huge global‑leading capacity. High‑purity food‑grade and industrial‑grade xanthan gum can be stably supplied in bulk to satisfy domestic market demand and large‑volume overseas foreign‑trade orders, with more reliable supply than overseas producers.

Raw‑material Cost Advantage
Supported by domestic industrial clusters of bulk biological raw materials such as corn starch and glucose. Sufficient and stably‑priced raw‑material supply, together with integrated fermentation production mode, greatly cuts comprehensive manufacturing costs and brings prominent global price competitiveness.

Mature Process Technology
Core technologies including submerged liquid fermentation, low‑temperature purification and fine screening are widely applied domestically. Product viscosity, purity, temperature‑resistance and salt‑resistance performance reach international top‑tier standards with tiny batch deviation and well‑controlled quality.

Closed‑loop Full‑industrial‑chain Advantage
China has built a complete industrial chain covering raw‑material supply, production & processing, deep‑application development, warehousing and logistics. Self‑sufficiency rate hits 100%. Large‑volume export is available to meet procurement demands from global regions.

Compliance & Export Advantages
Products comply synchronously with Chinese national standards, FCC and EU food‑safety regulations. Complete quality‑inspection systems satisfy high‑end compliance requirements for food, pharmaceutical and industrial sectors, enabling strong adaptability for cross‑border trade.

Upstream & Downstream Industrial Chain

Xanthan gum is a bio‑fermented product with clear and complete industrial chain.

Upstream Raw Materials: corn starch, glucose, industrial white granulated sugar, protein nitrogen sources, inorganic‑salt culture medium, fermentation strains, alcoholic extraction solvents

Downstream Applications: stabilizers for food & beverages; drilling / fracturing additives for oilfield; rheology modifiers for cosmetics; pharmaceutical excipients; pesticide‑suspending auxiliaries; feed binders & stabilizers; thickening additives for coatings & ceramics; rheological materials for fine‑chemical industries

Safety, Storage & Transportation

As a green biological polysaccharide additive, xanthan gum is non‑toxic, non‑corrosive, non‑flammable and non‑explosive. It is not classified as hazardous chemical and shall be transported and stored as ordinary general cargo.

Storage Requirements: Store in dry, cool, ventilated and clean warehouses. Keep away from high temperature, humidity and rain to prevent caking caused by moisture absorption. Keep materials hermetically sealed. Isolate from odorous, corrosive and oxidizing substances, maintain clean and dry storage environment.

Transportation Requirements: Follow general‑cargo transportation regulations. Take full protection against rain, moisture, sunlight exposure and package damage. Keep packages intact and sealed. Do not transport together with toxic, odorous or corrosive goods.

Safety Profile: It brings no irritation to skin or eyes and has high biological safety. Qualified food‑grade xanthan gum meets domestic and international food‑safety specifications and can be safely used in food and pharmaceutical‑excipient scenarios with no safety risks under normal handling and application.

FAQ

Q: Who are the major domestic manufacturers of xanthan gum in China?
A: China is the core global producer of xanthan gum. Major domestic manufacturers are large‑scale bio‑fermentation leading enterprises mainly located in Shandong, Henan and other bio‑industry clusters, accounting for over 80% of global capacity. They are capable of mass production, high‑purity customisation and large‑volume foreign‑trade supply, with mature processes and stable quality comparable with international imported brands.

Q: What constitutes the manufacturing cost of xanthan gum?
A: Four core cost components:

Raw‑material cost: mainly carbohydrate fermentation substrates such as corn starch, glucose and granulated sugar;

Energy consumption: energy for submerged fermentation, sterilization, rectification‑purification, drying and milling;

Auxiliary‑material & labour cost: culture‑medium additives, strain maintenance and production operation;

Quality inspection, warehousing and logistics costs including compliance testing, moisture‑proof storage and bulk‑cargo freight.
Benefiting from complete domestic industrial chain, comprehensive production cost is much lower than overseas manufacturers.

Q: What are the core industrial applications of xanthan gum?
A: Six key application fields:
‑ Food industry: thickener, stabilizer, water‑retaining and suspending agent;
‑ Petroleum industry: salt‑resistant & heat‑resistant rheological additive for drilling fluids and fracturing fluids;
‑ Cosmetics & fine chemicals: paste thickener and system stabilizer;
‑ Pharmaceutical industry: sustained‑release excipient and suspension stabilizer;
‑ Agriculture & feed: pesticide‑suspending auxiliary and feed binder‑stabilizer;
‑ General industry: anti‑settling rheology modifier for coatings, ceramics, printing‑dyeing and papermaking.