Need a Food Allergy Shopping Guide? - Xanthan Gum

Category: Just for Parents

Written by Cilie Yack

About Xanthan Gum

You are probably wondering, what is xanthan gum, right? It is simply a bacteria that is most often (but not always) fed corn to get it to grow and multiply. This ingredient is often used in gluten-free products to act as a gelling binder. Although it is mostly grown on corn it can also be derived from soy and wheat.  Xanthan gum is a very controversial ingredient for food allergic folks. Some allergic people do not react to xanthan gum and claim it is not something to worry about. Some manufacturers will use it and still label their product free from corn, wheat, and soy. The reasoning behind this stance is simple. They believe that since the corn, soy, and wheat are food products for the xanthan gum and not actually present in the final product then the ingredient (xanthan gum) is allergen free. This philosophy makes sense: you are allergic to corn but still eat beef, and cows are fed corn in their diet. Beef producers do not label their hamburger patties as containing corn because their cows ate the corn while they were alive. Thus, xanthan gum producers do not label their xanthan gum as corn, wheat, or soy containing. On the other hand, there are many, many corn, soy, or wheat allergic folks who will also react to xanthan gum either because it is grown on corn, soy, or wheat or because they are also sensitive to xanthan gum itself. Other corn, soy, or wheat allergic people do not react to xanthan gum. If you have an allergy to corn, soy, and/or wheat and find that you still have symptoms after you have modified your diet you may want to cut out xanthan gum to see if it is a problem for you.

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