E 415 XANTHAN GUM

Commission Directive 98/86/EC

Definition Xanthan gum is a high molecular weight polysaccharide gum produced

by a pure-culture fermentation of a carbohydrate with natural strains of Xanthomonas campestris, purified by recovery with ethanol or propane 2-ol, dried and milled. It contains D-glucose and D-mannose as the dominant hexose units, along with D-glucuronic acid and pyruvic acid, and is prepared as the sodium, potassium or calcium salt. Its solutions are neutral

Molecular weight Approximately 1 000 000

Einecs 234-394-2

Assay Yields, on dried basis, not less than 4,2 % and not more than 5 % of CO2

corresponding to between 91 % and 108 % of xanthan gum

Description Cream-coloured powder

Identification

A. Solubility Soluble in water. Insoluble in ethanol

Purity

Loss on drying Not more than 15 % (105 °C, 2½ hours)

Total ash Not more than 16 % on the anhydrous basis determined at 650 °C after drying at 105 °C for four hours

Pyruvic acid Not less than 1,5 %

Nitrogen Not more than 1,5 %

Propane-2-ol Not more than 500 mg/kg

Arsenic Not more than 3 mg/kg

Lead Not more than 5 mg/kg

Mercury Not more than 1 mg/kg

Cadmium Not more than 1 mg/kg

Heavy metals (as Pb) Not more than 20 mg/kg

Total plate count Not more than 10 000 colonies per gram

Yeast and mould Not more than 300 colonies per gram

E. coli Negative in 5 g

Salmonella spp. Negative in 10 g

Xanthomonas campestris Viable cells absent