ABSTRACT
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Bacterial polysaccharides offer a source of new biopolymers with novel functional properties.
Other potential advantages of bacterial polysaccharides are the prospects of reproducible
chemical and physical properties, and of a regular source of materials. Potential disadvantages
are the high costs involved in screening programs to identify new polymers, the higher
production costs, and the cost and time required to obtain clearance for food use. Increas-
ingly, clearance requires justifying why there is a need for a new polysaccharide, in addition to
demonstrating that the polymer is safe for use in foods.
