Xanthan gum is produced from the bacterium Xanthomonas campestris in the presence of a carbohydrate solution. The xanthan polymer is precipitated from the medium by the addition of isopropyl alcohol, and the precipitate is dried and milled to give a powder.Hydroxypropyl guar gum is produced by the thermo-mechanical treatment of the seeds of guar beans to obtain galactomannan which is then reacted with an alkylene oxide (propylene) in the presence of an alkaline catalyst (such as sodium hydroxide). Sorbitol is produced by hydrogenation of a sugar solution using a nickel or ruthenium catalyst. Using ion exchange, the crude sorbitol solution is then purified and evaporated to its final concentration