Nowadays, gum Arabic is harvested in Africa’s gum belt in nations including Eritrea, Chad, Sudan, Senegal, Nigeria, Niiger, Mali, Kenya, and Mauritania. Then, this is aged or dried for a year before processed into the spray dried powder. It is described as a cold water-soluble polysaccharide and a multi-functional hydrocolloid, which features an extremely balanced chemical composition.

At some facilities, they convert raw gum Arabic into a finished form. While their food chemists and scientists continue to study chemical characteristic, which make gum Arabic a great and powerful ingredient, the harvesting and cultivation of the gum has undergone some changes in a lot of years this has been used in commerce. That is the reason why you will find gum Arabic products that are processed without radiation and aren’t genetically modified.

Tons of companies started the process of expanding their available gum Arabic sources with a primary goal in mind, which is to establish an affordable and reliable supply. They have also mapped the growing region as well as examined characteristic’s differences of the harvested gum Arabic at a molecular level to understand the overall mechanism much better, allowing them to have quality product. 

Gum Arabic is known for being a versatile hydrocolloid, which has numerous applications. A superior emulsifier, gum Arabic is widely used in the production of flavor emulsions and beverage and meal replacers. Its adhesive properties and low viscosity make gum Arabic an important ingredient for confections, coating cereal, and snack foods. For the bakery products, the emulsification and binding abilities of the gum help in the formulation of frostings and icings and baked goods including muffins and cakes.

Other companies introduced some organic gum Arabic that further expanded the application into a growing organic segment. Beyond beverages and foods, gum Arabic has been used in the processes of lithographic as well as pharmaceutical products.

Aside from the functional properties of gum Arabic, it also plays an essential dietary role. It’s a great soluble dietary fiber source and due to its low viscosity, it can be utilized to improve fiber levels in a beverage or food without altering drastically the finished viscosity.

If you want to use gum Arabic, it is always wise to know the different gum Arabic sources. In this way, you will be able to know your options. Plus, you will have a clue on how it is produced. So, if you don’t want to purchase the wrong one and settled for less because of having no knowledge about it, make sure that you are aware of gum Arabic sources as this can make a difference in reaping all of its benefits.