Gellan gum is a thickener that turns liquids into gel. It's made by feeding sugar to a bacterium called Sphingomonas elodea, first found on a water lily. Very small amounts make clear, firm gels. It's used in plant milks, desserts, jellies and sauces.

Yes, it's seen as one of the gentler thickeners. In a study, volunteers ate large amounts every day for three weeks. It acted like fiber and didn't harm their blood tests or blood sugar. EFSA reviewed it again in 2018 and found no need for a daily limit. The amounts in food are very small.

Why is gellan gum in almond and oat milk?

Plant milks have added calcium, which tends to sink to the bottom of the carton. A tiny amount of gellan gum keeps the calcium spread through the milk, so you don't have to shake the carton as much.

Yes. It's made by bacteria, not from animals. So it's often used instead of gelatin in vegan desserts, jellies and gummies.

Does gellan gum cause bloating?

In normal food amounts, rarely. Like other fibers, larger amounts can cause gas or bloating in sensitive people, especially those with IBS. It's usually used at less than 0.1% of a food.

E418 is the European code for gellan gum. On labels you'll see "gellan gum", "gellan", "stabilizer: E418" or "gelling agent: E418".

Gellan Gum: What It Is, Uses and Is It Safe?

Gellan gum is a thickener you’ll find on the labels of almond and oat milk, plant-based yogurts, jellies, sauces and many vegan desserts. It’s used in tiny amounts, but it’s everywhere – and like every additive with a technical name, people wonder if it’s safe.

The short answer: gellan gum is a thickener made by bacteria, used in very small amounts (usually less than 0.1% of a food). It’s seen as one of the gentler thickeners. In a human study, large daily amounts acted like fiber and didn’t harm blood tests or blood sugar. The European Food Safety Authority found no need to set a daily limit. It’s vegan and keeps calcium from sinking to the bottom of plant milks. Large amounts can cause gas or bloating, as with any fiber.

What is gellan gum?

Gellan gum is a long chain of sugars made by a bacterium called Sphingomonas elodea. It was first found on a water lily in the 1970s. The bacteria are grown in tanks with sugar and make gellan gum. It’s then cleaned and dried into a powder – much like xanthan gum.

It comes in two types:

Type	Texture	Used in
High acyl gellan	Soft, elastic gels	Plant milks, creamy desserts
Low acyl gellan	Firm, clear, brittle gels	Jellies, fruit fillings, popping boba

Gellan gum works at very low amounts and stays stable when heated, frozen or mixed with acid.

On labels, you’ll see it as gellan gum, gellan or E418.

Where you’ll find gellan gum

Plant milks – almond, oat, soy and rice milk – to keep calcium from sinking
Plant-based yogurts and desserts
Jellies, jams and fruit fillings
Vegan gummies and gelatin-free desserts
Sauces, dressings and frostings
Bubble tea “popping boba”
Sports and protein drinks
Capsules for supplements and medicines

Is gellan gum safe? What the research says

A human study

In a study at the University of Edinburgh, 10 volunteers ate large amounts of gellan gum every day for three weeks. That was about 200 mg per kg of body weight, far more than anyone gets from food. Gellan gum acted like fiber and made stools bigger. It had no harmful effect on blood tests, urine, blood sugar or insulin. Cholesterol even dropped by about 12% on average (Anderson et al., Food Additives and Contaminants, 1988).

What regulators say

Gellan gum is approved in the US and the EU. In 2018, the European Food Safety Authority reviewed it again. It found no need to set a daily limit and no safety problem at the amounts used in food.

Gut bacteria: what we don’t know

In recent years, scientists found that some thickeners and emulsifiers can disturb gut bacteria and cause gut inflammation in animal studies. Examples are carrageenan, carboxymethylcellulose and polysorbate 80. Gellan gum hasn’t been studied as closely, and there’s no evidence yet that it does the same. Such problems are usually found first in animal and gut bacteria studies, because testing additives on people for years would put their health at risk. So it’s worth keeping an eye on new research.

Digestion

Gellan gum is a fiber that the body doesn’t digest. In normal food amounts, it rarely causes problems. In larger amounts, it can cause gas, bloating or loose stools in sensitive people, especially those with IBS.

Gellan gum vs other thickeners

Thickener	Source	Main concerns
Gellan gum (E418)	Bacterial fermentation	Few; bloating in large amounts
Xanthan gum (E415)	Bacterial fermentation	Bloating; risk for premature babies
Guar gum (E412)	Guar beans	Bloating; blockage risk from pills
Pectin (E440)	Fruit	Few; rare allergy
Carrageenan (E407)	Seaweed	Gut inflammation; possible cancer link in animals
CMC (E466)	Wood pulp or cotton	Gut bacteria, inflammation

If a product needs a thickener, gellan gum is one of the better ones to see on the label.

Should you avoid gellan gum?

For most people, there’s no need. The amounts are tiny, it’s vegan, and the evidence so far is reassuring. But:

if you have IBS or a sensitive stomach and react to plant milks or desserts, try products without gums
remember that a long list of thickeners and stabilizers is usually a sign of an ultra-processed product – read more about ultra-processed foods

Spot gellan gum on any label in seconds. With NutriSmart, you photograph the ingredient list or scan the barcode, and the app tells you right away if the product has gellan gum. Turn on an alert for it, and the app warns you every time a product you scan contains it. You’ll also see every other additive, the risks of each one and a health score out of 100.Get the app free

You can also read about other thickeners: xanthan gum, guar gum and pectin.

The bottom line

Gellan gum is a thickener made by bacteria and used in tiny amounts in plant milks, vegan desserts and jellies. It acts like fiber and didn’t cause harm in a human study, even at large doses. EFSA found no need for a daily limit. That makes it one of the gentler thickeners. Its effects on gut bacteria haven’t been studied as closely as some others, so a simpler ingredient list is still the best choice when you can find one.