Excerpted: In the past, food manufacturers used gum arabic as a
traditional carrier for spray dried flavor applications. Due to factors
such as fluctuations in overseas raw material and increased usage of
modified starches, gum arabic's use in the food industry has dwindled.
TIC Gums Inc., Belcamp, MD. has addressed these challenges and is
working to bring gum arabic's benefits back in the limelight.
"The fluctuations in raw material availability occurred at a time when
the Sudan was the only viable source of gum arabic," says Frances Bowman,
marketing manager for TIC Gums. The company has now developed several
non-Sudanese sources of gum arabic, solving the price fluctuation issue.
Modified starches derived from corn face challenges with consumer
concern over genetic engineering. Some food manufacturers feel a need to
reformulate their products with non-genetically modified ingredients. Gum
arabic offers a solution to replacing some modified starches.
TIC Gums markets specially selected species of gum acacia. With gum
arabic's benefits, it will find increasing use in flavor encapsulation,
beverage emulsions, confectionery, snack foods and nutraceuticals.
Flavor encapsulation. Gum arabic is an ideal carrier in flavor
encapsulation because of its natural emulsifying and surface-active
properties, good retention of volatile flavor components, high solutility
in water (up to 50%) and acid stability. Additional advantages include its
bland flavor, low hygroscopicity and ability to protect flavors from
oxidation.
A study at the University of Minnesota by Gary A Reineccius developed
and evaluated gum acacias for the encapsultaiton of flavors. Results
showed substantial differences between various types of gum acacia. The
acacia gums tested protected orange oil against oxidation more effectively
than the modified starch.
In addition to several spray dried arabic products, TIC Gums offers TIC
Pretested Gum Arabic FT powder. It is ideal for creating encapsulated
spray dried flavors with a non-GMO claim.
"Gum Arabic FT and Arabic Spray Dry are sulfite-free. These are low in
sediment and have very low bacterial counts including thermophilic spore
counts. This is due to TIC's manufacturing process, which follows a HACCP
Program. The whiteness index (color) is higher than other similar arabic
products," says Florian Ward, vp, research and development.
Confectionery. Gum arabic retards sugar crystallization in gum
drops and emulsifies and distributes fat particles in caramel and toffee.
It functions as a binder and structure builder in cough drops and
lozenges. in panned sugar confections, it serves as a coating agent and
film-former.
snack foods and bakery products TIC Gums recommends gum arabic
as a lubricant and binder in extruded snack cereals, at levels from 2-5%.
At 15-40% levels, gum arabic provides adhesion of dry flavors in peanuts
and similar products. In lowfat cake and muffin mixes, gum arabic
functions as a partial oil replacer as well as a moisture binder.
Nutraceuticals Due to its high solubility, low viscosity and
high soluble dietary fiber content, gum arabic finds use in meal replacers,
nutritional beverages and weight-loss products.
"These examples cover many applications. In the future, I would like to
see gum arabic used as a source of soluble dietary fiber in beverage and
bakery products.
Gum Arabic Benefits
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- Multifunctional: good emulsifier, film-former, texturizer and
low-viscosity water binder and bulking agent.
- High source of fiber: contains no less than 85% soluble dietary
fiber (dry basis)
- High percentage purity: no additives; free from sediment and
impurities; has extremely low bacterial counts
- Fast hydration and ease of dispersion: available in prehydrated or
agglomerated form.
- "Natural" labeling: Gum arabic is not chemically modified and
qualifies for "natural" labeling or "no artificial additives" claims