The food additive gellan gum may be safely used in food in accordance with the following prescribed conditions:

(a) The additive is a high molecular weight polysaccharide gum produced from Pseudomonas elodea by a pure culture fermentation process and purified by recovery with isopropyl alcohol. It is composed of tetrasaccharide repeat units, each containing one molecule of rhamnose and glucuronic acid, and two molecules of glucose. The glucuronic acid is neutralized to a mixed potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium salt. The polysaccharide may contain acyl (glyceryl and acetyl) groups as the O-glycosidically linked esters.

(b) The strain of P. elodea is nonpathogenic and nontoxic in man and animals.

(c) The additive is produced by a process that renders it free of viable cells of P. elodea.

(d) The additive meets the following specifications:

(1) Positive for gellan gum when subjected to the following identification tests:

(i) A 1-percent solution is made by hydrating 1 gram of gellan gum in 99 milliliters of distilled water. The mixture is stirred for about 2 hours, using a motorized stirrer and a propeller-type stirring blade. A small amount of the above solution is drawn into a wide bore pipet and transferred into a solution of 10-percent calcium chloride. A tough worm-like gel will form instantly.

(ii) To the 1-percent distilled water solution prepared for identification test (i), 0.50 gram of sodium chloride is added. The solution is heated to 80 °C with stirring, held at 80 °C for 1 minute, and allowed to cool to room temperature without stirring. A firm gel will form.

(2) Residual isopropyl alcohol (IPA) not to exceed 0.075 percent as determined by the procedure described in the “Gellan gum” monograph in the Food Chemicals Codex, 7th ed. (2010), pp. 425-426, which is incorporated by reference. The Director of the Office of the Federal Register approves this incorporation by reference in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. You may obtain copies from the United States Pharmacopeial Convention, 12601 Twinbrook Pkwy., Rockville, MD 20852 (Internet address http://www.usp.org). Copies may be examined at the Food and Drug Administration's Main Library, 10903 New Hampshire Ave., Bldg. 2, Third Floor, Silver Spring, MD 20993, 301-796-2039, or at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030 or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/cfr/ibr-locations.html.

(e) The additive is used or intended for use in accordance with current good manufacturing practice as a stabilizer and thickener as defined in §170.3(o)(28) of this chapter. The additive may be used in foods where standards of identity established under section 401 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act do not preclude such use.

(f) To assure safe use of the additive:

(1) The label of its container shall bear, in addition to other information required by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the name of the additive and the designation “food grade”.

(2) The label or labeling of the food additive container shall bear adequate directions for use.

[55 FR 39614, Sept. 28, 1990, as amended at 57 FR 55445, Nov. 25, 1992; 64 FR 1758, Jan. 12, 1999; 78 FR 71463, Nov. 29, 2013]