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Article: Gums are common food additives.
- Article from:
- Environmental Nutrition
- Article date:
- September 1, 1992
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1992 Environmental Nutrition, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Q . I've noticed the ingredients guar gum, xanthan gum and locust bean gum on a lot of food labels lately. What are they? Are they safe?
A. Gums have been used as thickeners to improve consistency and texture in foods for centuries. Today, they do the same in puddings, sauces, dressings, ice cream, chocolate milk, baked goods and candy, to name a few.
If you're an avid label reader, you may have also spotted these so-called vegetable gums as key ingredients in the new generation of reduced-fat and fat-free products. It's the water in fat-free foods that simulates fat's creamy texture, but it is gums and other carbohydrates that hold the water and other ...