Oat Milk Without Gums
What are gums?
Gums (also known as hydrocolloids) are a common food additive which come from a variety of sources such as plants, seaweed, and even bacteria.
Nutritionally, they are classed as carbohydrates and are typically used to improve certain features of food and drinks.
Why does oat milk contain gums?
Gums are added to oat milk primarily as a thickening agent, and as such help improve the texture, making oat milk appear creamier than it is.
Gums may also be added to oat milk as a stabiliser, preventing the separation of ingredients, which in turn can improve the shelf life.
Which gums are most commonly added to oat milk?
The most common gum added to oat milk in the UK is gellan gum. This is a water soluble gum produced by bacteria in laboratories.
Other gums added to oat milk include xanthan gum, guar gum or carrageenan.
Are gums in oat milk unhealthy?
Although gums have been declared safe by food safety authorities, numerous studies have linked the consumption of gums with digestive issues.
Whilst most side effects are short-term like bloating or gas, some gums like carrageenan have been shown to cause longer-term gastrointestinal inflammation.
For those prone to digestive issues like bloating or stomach aches, regular consumption of gums is likely to make these issues worse.
Gums are also highly processed ingredients so if you want to minimise additives in your oat milk, and exposure to ultra processed foods, you may want to consider choosing a gum free brand.
Are certain gums worse than others?
Carrageenan is the most controversial gum and is derived from red seaweed. Numerous studies have linked regular consumption of carrageenan to gastrointestinal inflammation.
Two other common gums used in oat milk are xanthan gum and gellan gum. These are derived from the fermentation of sugars using bacteria and may also cause milder digestive issues.
Oat milk without any gums added
We’ve compiled the below list of UK oat milk brands which are gum-free. These oat milk brands use fewer ingredients and are less likely to cause digestive issues like bloating.
- Overherd is a gum free oat milk made in the UK.
- Plenish uses no gums in its oat milk.
- Moma is free from gums and stabilisers.
- Minor Figures is gum free but contains other additives like acidity regulators.
Which oat milk contains gums?
We’ve also compiled a list of oat milk brands which DO contain gums so you can make an informed decision.
The cheaper and own-brand varieties are generally more likely to contain gums as they rely on thickeners and fillers.
- Aldi Oat Milk contains gellan gum
- Alpro Oat No Sugar contains gellan gum
- Alpro Oat Original contains gellan gum
- Alpro Oat Barista contains gellan gum
- Asda Oat Milk contains gellan gum
- Asda Oat Barista contains gellan gum
- Lidl Oat Milk contains gellan gum
- Mighty Oat Whole contains gellan gum
- Mighty Oat Semi contains gellan gum
- Mighty Oat Barista contains gellan gum
- Morrison’s Oat Milk contains gellan gum
- Tesco Oat Milk contains gellan gum
- Sainsbury's Oat Milk contains gellan gum
To see if a specific oat milk contains gums simply check the ingredients on the back of the carton and look for additives like: xanthan gum, gellan gum, guar gum or carrageenan.
Please note that brands frequently change ingredients so be sure to check the latest info online or on the back of a carton.