Exudate gums thickening agents

Gum, arabic. This thickening agent used for stabilizing emulsions is made from the dried exudate of the stems of the Acacia Senegal. 

Acacia gum 9- ka-sho g3m n. Water-soluble gum obtained from trees of the acacia species, as an exudation from incisions in the bark. It is water soluble and is used as an adhesive, thickening agent and for transparent paints. Whistler JN, BeMiller JN (eds) (1992) Industrial gums polysaccharides and their derivatives. Elsevier Science and Technology Books, Amsterdam. 

Natural thickeners can be defined as products obtained from natural sources such as plants, seeds, seaweeds and microorganisms. These products are high molecular weight polymers composed of polysaccharides and are often referred to as hydrocolloids. Production processes vary from simple collection of tree exudates and milling in the case of gum arabic to more complex production by fermentation as in the case of xanthan gum. A number of these natural thickeners are also derivatised in order to modify their properties. Table 2.1 provides a simple classification of these products by source. Tables 2.2-2.4 provide an overview of the main natural thickening agents and their applications. A brief description of each class of hydro colloids is given below but for more detailed information on each of the hydrocolloids there are a number of publications available [ 1—3]. 

Phillips G O, Pass G, Jeffries M, Morley R G 1980 Use and technology of exudate gums from tropical sources. In Neukom H, Pilnik W (ed) Gelling and thickening agents in foods. Forster Zurich, 135-161... 

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