Is Gellan Gum (E418) Halal? Source, Uses & What to Check

Gellan gum is a thickener and gelling agent. In the UK and EU it carries the code E418 ^[3]. In the US, the FDA allows it in food as a stabilizer and thickener ^[1].

Tate & Lyle, which sells the KELCOGEL brand, describes it as a gelling agent that gives texture and keeps pieces suspended in foods and drinks ^[2]. You will usually see it near the end of an ingredient list, because only a small amount is needed.

Gellan gum comes from a bacterium. US regulations describe it as a polysaccharide gum made by a pure culture fermentation of Pseudomonas elodea ^[1]. Tate & Lyle names the same microbe Sphingomonas elodea and notes it was first found on lily pond plants ^[2].

After fermentation, the gum is recovered and purified with isopropyl alcohol ^[1]. Isopropyl alcohol is a processing solvent, not the ethanol found in alcoholic drinks. The rule also requires the final gum to be free of live bacteria ^[1].

There is no animal tissue, pork or wine in this process.

The main halal concerns with food additives are pork, animals not slaughtered Islamically, and alcoholic drinks. Gellan gum involves none of these.

IFANCA, a major US halal certifier, says bacterial cultures are generally halal as long as the media they are grown in are halal ^[4]. In the same article, IFANCA notes it has certified stabilizers made by companies such as Danisco, CP Kelco and Cargill ^[4]. Islam Q&A also notes that ingredients made from plant-based or artificial sources are permissible unless harmful ^[5].

We did not find a scholarly body that rejects gellan gum itself. The only open question a strict buyer might ask is what the bacteria were fed, which is exactly what a halal certificate checks ^[4].

Because gellan gum sets into a gel, it is one of several non-animal options food makers can use instead of gelatin. IFANCA lists other halal texturizers that can replace gelatin, such as pectin, guar gum and agar ^[4]. See our pages on pectin, agar, guar gum and xanthan gum.

When a gummy, jelly or dessert lists gellan gum, pectin or agar as its only gelling agent, gelatin is less likely to be an issue. Still read the full list, because some products combine a plant gum with gelatin for texture.

• The whole ingredient list. Gellan gum being halal doesn't make the whole product halal. A dessert can contain gellan gum and gelatin together.
• Flavors and colors. Check for alcohol-based flavorings or carmine.
• A halal mark. If you want full certainty, look for a halal mark with a named certifier on the finished product.
• "Vegan" claims. A vegan label rules out animal ingredients, but not alcohol. See our vegan guide.