Gum Arabic (large chunks)

Gum arabic is a natural gum consisting of the toughened sap of two acacia species: Vachellia (Acacia) seyal and Acacia Senegal or Senegalia Senegal. Commercially, gum is mostly harvested from wild trees, mostly in Sudan (80%) and all through the Sahel. Gum Arabic is a substance of many names (Arabic gum, gum sudani, Indian gum, acacia gum, Senegal gum) and many uses.

Like xanthum gum or carageenan, gum arabic is one of a group of botanically-derived food hydrocolloids: a hydrophilic polysaccharide that produces a viscous solution or gel when added to water. It can therefore be used to control the microstructure, texture, flavour, and time span of foods and drinks and is used as a stabilizer, thickener and emulsifier in the soft drink and food industries. One of its more famous uses is in wine gums, where it produces a better transparency than other botanical hydrocolloids, and prevents the sugar from crystallising, slowing down the way it melts in the mouth and prolonging the wine gum experience! It is also used in the north Indian sweet treat gond ke laddu where it is combined with ghee, dried coconut flakes and jaggery, and is legendary as a home remedy to boost lactation in new mothers.

As a gummy, glue-like and viscous substance, gum arabic also plays an important role in the paint, pigment and printing industries. It was allegedly used by the Egyptians from around 2650 BC to secure bandages around mummies and to fix pigments into hieroglyphic paintings. In contemporary paint production it is used as a dispersant, keeping the pigments uniformly distributed throughout the product. It also plays the same role with the active ingredient in insecticidal products.

In cosmetics, gum Arabic functions as a stabilizer in lotions and protective creams, where it increases viscosity, imparts spreading properties and provides a protective coating and a smooth feel. It is used as an adhesive agent in blusher and as a foam stabilizer in liquid soaps.