Although xanthan gum is widely used in weakly gelled food, such as salad dressings, many hydrocolloids can form soft or firm hydrogels as gelling agents and/or major constituents in food; typical examples of these hydrocolloids are dairy dessert gels, jams, table jellies, some meat products, tofu, and noodles.

The use of natural hydrogels in food and agriculture practices
https://www.azolifesciences.com/news/20200208/The-use-of-natural-hydrogels-in-food-and-agriculture-practices.aspx
The Danger of Hydrogel Water Beads
https://healthyandsafe.biz/the-danger-of-hydrogel-water-beads/