^ getting back to gums, and thanks for the question DreaMTripper..if you think supermarket white bread an odd place for acacia gum to turn up..it’s also in coke!
Gums is an extensive subject, worthy of an entire book
(such as 'Plant Gum Exudates of the World: Sources, Distribution, Properties, and Applications' by Amos Nussinovitch)
..the most widely known and used Acacia gum is of course ‘gum arabic’, derived as the exudate from lesions in the trunk of
Acacia senegal and less commonly
Acacia seyal (i refuse to adhere to the Senegalia/Vachellia reclassification, as it’s taxonomically incorrect..’acacia’ comes from ‘akkis’ meaning thorn, and the thorned ones are principally in Africa, the middle east, and central America)
..the ancient Egyptians referred to gums (sticky substances) from the acacia as
‘qemai’ or
‘kami’..
the bandages which wrapped mummies were glued with gum arabic..they also used it in ink and papyrus preparation..
many other acacias around the world exude gums, though these are not nearly as studied in either ethnobotanical usage (of which there is some) or chemistry as gum arabic, which is widely used in food and soft-drink manufacturing as an emulsifier and stabiliser, as well as in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics..
the gum arabic composition of A. senegal and A. seyal is similar but varies in ratios of compounds..
these are principally polysaccharides (sugars)
Rhamnose, Arabinose ,Galactose, Glucuronic acid, as well as Nitrogen and Protein;
the amino acids are Hydroxyproline, Serine, Threonine, Proline, Leucine, Histidine, Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid, Valine, Phenylalanine, Lysine, Alanine, Isoleucine, Tyrosine, Arginine, Methionine, Cysteine and Tryptophan.
(for a good chemistry summary see 'Gum Arabic: More Than an Edible Emulsifier'; Mariana A. Montenegro et al. )
"Gum arabic contains three fractions. One, known as the AGP (arabinogalactan protein) fraction, includes proteins responsible for the emulsification properties. Arabinogalactan provides most of the hydrophilic groups that orient to the water phase of an emulsion. The non-polar amino-acid side chains of the protein orient to the oil. This makes it a natural emulsifier, allowing oil and water to be mixed together and stay together without separating. This property makes gum arabic useful in water-based beverages with oil-based flavor components, as it keeps flavor components well-mixed throughout the beverage rather than in an oil puddle on top. And, because it is natural, it is a much more “label-friendly" ingredient than many other emulsifiers."
(it is widely used as an) ".. ingredient for coating cereal, confections and snack foods. And, in bakery products, the gum’s binding and emulsification abilities aid in the formulation of icings and frostings, as well as baked goods like cakes and muffins."
(Mary Lou Cunningham, R&D innovations manager with TIC Gums, Food Product Design - Berlijn hotels )
in food it’s additive code is E414..
..the largest supplier is Sudan, which has lead to political and even combat situations over it:
"In 1997, when the US government brought sanctions against Sudan – the world's biggest producer of the gum – for giving refuge to Islamic terrorists, lobbyists protested and as a result the only product exempt from an export ban was gum arabic…"
Global soft drinks manufacturers are dependent on the emulsifier but with a lack of transparency over supply chains, sustainable gum arabic is hard to find
www.theguardian.com
..it’s one of the key ingredients in coca-cola (and of course pepsi) ..hmm, ingredient x ?
..at the other end of the health spectrum, away from coke and co., it is a good source of dietary fibre, reduces cholesterol, and boosts pro-bacteria in the gut.
interestingly, it’s expanded use was approved in the US by the FDA last year
The US Food and Drug Administration has amended food additive regulations to allow expanded safe use of acacia gum (gum arabic) in foods, in response to a petition filed by Nexira, supplier of a dietary soluble acacia gum marketed as Fibregum.
The US Food and Drug Administration has amended food additive regulations to allow expanded safe use of acacia gum (gum arabic) in foods, in response to a petition filed by Nexira, supplier of a dietary soluble acacia gum marketed as Fibregum.
www.foodnavigator-usa.com
..for a part II of this post i’d look at other kinds of acacia gums in the world and their uses..when time permits..
on a final note, returning to the Judaic Law theme from the last post, gum arabic is in the Kosher Ink:
The main ingredients for ink acceptable in writing Torah Scrolls and other articles that have the same standard are: Water, Oak Gall Nut, Gum Arabic, Soot, Logwood, Copper Sulfate or Iron Sulfate. There are many recipes for this ink and many laws the Scribe must follow to produce kosher ink.
wishing all acacias well..
and peace unto all of you..
.
..below, Acacia senegal in Sudan...
its not necessary to completely avoid bark as long as you are careful and respectful in your harvesting method..i was mainly referring to the root/trunk which is difficult to take without causing harm. pruning a few branches is a good way to aquire useable amounts of bark with minimal harm required..
