It is a food additive that takes the form of a white powder and is soluble in cold water. You only have to check the labels of many kinds of foods to see how prevalent this gum can be.

In fact, its thickening and gelling functions are a major asset in the development of foods such as industrially-made baked goods, ready-made meals, candies, soups and sauces.

And, contrary to what you might think, xanthan gum is actually a polysaccharide that is obtained through the fermentation of sugars.

With the proliferation of food lines catering for specific diets such as gluten-free, halal or kosher, the food industry has been using this food additive for quite some time now.

And it is not ready to stop anytime soon, since the xanthan gum market is promised an even brighter future. Indeed, according to analysis from the American firm Transparency Market Research, it is expected to grow by almost 5.9% annually by 2031.

In fact, xanthan gum is expected to feed a market worth US$1.9 billion dollars by that date.

Manufacturers are thinking of using it even more widely to replace eggs in recipes.

Egg is not generally used in an industrially-made product for matters of taste. It is instead used as an emulsifier, just like xanthan gum.

Guaranteed gluten-free and completely vegan, the food additive has serious advantages from the point of view of food engineers.

For starters, it is particularly resistant to thermal degradation. In other words, the temperature of the molecules can be raised without them being destroyed.

Xanthan gum is thus a perfect substitute – and a cheaper one – when developing new vegan food products.

Globally, Asia-Pacific countries use it the most. By value, this region will account for 39% of the total xanthan gum market in 2021.

But is this good news for your health? It may not be for your weight.

Last spring, a study published in the journal Nature Biology suggested that, contrary to popular belief, the intestines can absorb xanthan gum. And with the process of digestion, the additive could be transformed into fatty acids through fermentation.