FDA Status
GRAS
Thickener · CAS 71010-52-1 · EU E418
Gellan Gum
FDA status: GRAS. EU: Approved. No U.S. state has enacted a specific ban yet.
5.0 / 5
Composite safety Generally Safe
Score 5 of 5
Gellan Gum: 5/5 (Generally Safe)
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Gellan Gum is classified GRAS by the FDA, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it independently of federal policy. Its composite safety score is 5 out of 5 (Generally Safe), and the European Union separately classifies it as approved. It is more widely-used than most tracked additives.
- 83th percentile by tracked product prevalence
The verdict
Gellan Gum is classified GRAS by the FDA, and no U.S. state has moved to restrict it. It is more widely-used than most tracked additives (83th percentile by tracked product count).
- 5/5
- Generally Safe
- GRAS
- FDA status
- 83th pctile
- by product prevalence
- 0
- state regulations
Gellan Gum (E418), CAS 71010-52-1, is a thickener additive holding a composite safety score of 5 out of 5 (Generally Safe). According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Substances Added to Food inventory, it is currently classified as GRAS, while the European Union lists it as Approved. This ingredient appears in approximately 569 tracked food products across our database. It is most commonly used as Plant milks, yogurt, jellies.
No U.S. state has enacted specific legislation targeting Gellan Gum to date, keeping federal FDA classification as the operative standard. State-level food safety legislation remains active nationally, and that picture may shift as new bills advance.
No major peer-reviewed health concerns are presently documented for Gellan Gum at consumer exposure levels, though scientific review is ongoing and positions can shift. The European Food Safety Authority has published an evaluation dated 2018/06/20. All figures above draw on FDA SAFFA inventory records, EU food additive regulation (EC) No 1333/2008, EFSA scientific opinions where published, and legislative records from individual U.S. states.
Regulatory Snapshot
| Property | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FDA Status | GRAS | FDA SAFFA |
| EU Status | Approved | EC 1333/2008 |
| E-Number | E418 | EU additive register |
| CAS Number | 71010-52-1 | CAS Registry |
| Category | Thickener | FDA functional class |
| Composite Safety Score | 5 / 5 (Generally Safe) | PlainIngredients methodology |
| EFSA ADI | Not established | EFSA scientific opinion |
| U.S. State Actions | 0 states | State legislative records |
| Tracked Products | 569 | Open Food Facts (US) |
Values reflect official agency classifications as published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Union's regulatory framework. See our methodology for scoring details.
EU Status
Approved
E418
U.S. State Regulations
0 states
None enacted
Safety Assessment
Gellan Gum's 5/5 (Generally Safe) score reflects where this specific ingredient lands on that scale. The FDA classifies Gellan Gum as "Generally Recognized As Safe" (GRAS), meaning qualified experts consider it safe under intended conditions of use.
How Gellan Gum compares
Where a safety score of 5/5 falls among all 4,509 scored ingredients tracked on PlainIngredients.
Ingredients by safety score (Gellan Gum highlighted)
31 of 4,509 scored ingredients (0.7%) share a safety score of 5/5.
What is Gellan Gum?
Bacterial fermentation gum.
Common Uses
Plant milks, yogurt, jellies
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gellan Gum safe to consume?
Gellan Gum has a safety score of 5/5 (Generally Safe). It is approved by the FDA for use in food. As with all food additives, moderation is advisable.
What is Gellan Gum used for in food?
Gellan Gum is commonly used as: Plant milks, yogurt, jellies. It belongs to the Thickener category of food additives.
Is Gellan Gum banned in any US states?
Currently, no US states have enacted specific bans or regulations targeting Gellan Gum. However, state food safety legislation is evolving rapidly.
What is the difference between FDA and EU regulation of Gellan Gum?
The FDA classifies Gellan Gum as "GRAS", while the EU status is "Approved" (E418). The FDA and EU use separate evaluation frameworks, the EU often applies the precautionary principle, sometimes banning additives that remain approved in the US. Always check both jurisdictions when evaluating food additive safety.
What health concerns are associated with Gellan Gum?
No major health concerns have been widely documented for Gellan Gum at this time. It holds a safety score of 5/5 (Generally Safe). As with all food additives, ongoing scientific review may identify new findings.
How is the safety score for Gellan Gum calculated?
The safety score of 5/5 for Gellan Gum is a composite assessment based on FDA regulatory status, EU approval status, published scientific research on health effects, and state-level legislative actions. A score of 1 means "Banned / Avoid" and 5 means "Generally Safe." The score is updated as new regulatory actions or scientific evidence emerge.
Data Sources
- FDA Substances Added to Food (SAFFA) Inventory
- EU Food Additive Regulations (EC) No 1333/2008
- State food safety legislation and bill records
What to do about Gellan Gum
Use the regulatory picture, not a single score, to decide.
- Check the FDA status (GRAS) and EU status (Approved) before assuming it is risk-free. How we score
- Compare it against the most-restricted additives in the U.S. supply. View rankings
- Scan a whole ingredient label at once to flag the concerning entries. Label checker
Safety scores summarise regulatory status and published concerns; they are not medical or dietary advice.
Every figure on PlainIngredients is rendered directly from FDA, EU, EFSA and U.S. state regulatory records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.