Comparing E418 - Gellan gum vs E516 - Calcium sulphate

Synonyms
E418
Gellan gum
gellan
E-418
E 418
INS418
INS-418
INS 418
E516
Calcium sulphate
Gypsum
Selenite
Calcium sulfate
calcium sulfate added to prevent caking
Products

Found in 2,816 products

Found in 2,164 products

Search rank & volume
#11017.4K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
#2293.6K / mo🇺🇸U.S.
Awareness score

×0.90
normal

×6.31
over-aware

Search volume over time

Interest over time for 8 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Interest over time for 6 keywords in U.S. during the last 10 years.

Popular questions
  1. Is gellan gum bad for you?

    No—it's considered safe by major regulators (GRAS in the U.S., approved in the EU); very high intakes may cause gas or loose stools, but typical food amounts are well tolerated.

  2. What is gellan gum made of?

    It's a polysaccharide produced by fermenting sugars with the bacterium Sphingomonas elodea; chemically it contains repeating units of glucose, glucuronic acid, and rhamnose.

  3. Is gellan gum vegan?

    Yes—it's made by microbial fermentation and is not animal-derived, so it's generally considered vegan.

  4. Is gellan gum bad for your gut?

    Generally no; it's not digested and is used in small amounts, though large amounts can cause bloating or laxative effects in some people, with no evidence of gut-lining harm at permitted levels.

  5. Is gellan gum inflammatory?

    No; there's no evidence it promotes inflammation at approved food-use levels, and regulatory evaluations have not identified pro-inflammatory effects.

  1. What is gypsum used for?

    In foods (E516), gypsum (calcium sulfate) is used as a stabiliser/firming and anti‑caking agent, a tofu coagulant, and to adjust brewing water; outside food it’s used for plaster, drywall, and as a desiccant.

  2. What is gypsum board?

    Gypsum board (drywall) is a building panel with a calcium sulfate core faced with paper, used for interior walls and ceilings—it's a construction use of the same mineral, not a food application of E516.

  3. What does gypsum do for soil?

    It supplies calcium and sulfate without notably changing pH, and can improve structure and water infiltration in sodic (sodium-affected) soils by displacing sodium; it has little effect on non‑sodic clays.

  4. What is selenite good for?

    Selenite is the crystalline mineral form of gypsum (calcium sulfate); it’s used like gypsum in construction materials and as a source of calcium and sulfate, including limited food uses as additive E516.

  5. How much gypsum to add to soil?

    Apply based on a soil test: typical maintenance rates are about 10–40 lb per 1,000 sq ft (50–200 g/m²) for lawns/gardens, while reclaiming sodic soils can require much more (around 1–4 tons/acre, 2–9 t/ha). Over‑application won’t fix non‑sodic clays and can add unnecessary salts.