Xanthan Gum - Food Grade Fine Powder Our Xanthan Gum is formed by corn fermentation and then purified to produce a pure fine powder. Its food grade and suitable for making cakes, sauces and as a thickening agent. What is Xanthan Gum? Xanthan Gum is a type of sugar (a Polysaccharide) produced by the fermentation of corn using a growing medium to yield the gum which is then purified, dried and ground to a fine powder. It has some unusual properties which make is ideal for some food applications. When the powder is added to liquid to form a gum solution it displays pseudoplasticity (shear thinning) properties; this means the viscosity of the solution is reduced when shear forces are applied (i.e. stirring, mixing or shaking), the viscosity increases again once the shear forces are removed.