AbstractWater soluble polysaccharides are used broadly and in large amounts by food and nonfood industries. These polymers are plant exodates, seaweed extracts, plant extracts, seed endosperms, modified starches and cellulose, and biosynthetics. They may be neutral or anionic through their content of carboxyl or sulfate half‐ester groups. They may be linear or branched but their usefulness depends upon their causing large rheological or other physical effects at low concentrations. They are used mainly to improve viscosity, suspension stability, emulsification, flocculation or emolliency. Their use is increasing each year and the trend is toward use of agricultural or biosynthetic gums or starch and cellulose derivative