Acacia gums

functional properties (texturisation, emulsion stabilization, film-forming ability, compression agent.

Technological Properties

Acacia gum has long been used for its functional properties (texturisation, emulsion stabilization, film-forming ability, compression agent...).Thanks to its very low viscosity and its absence of taste and odor, Acacia gum can be incorporated in large amount in foodstuffs without disturbance of their organoleptic properties.

Main applications in the food industry

Acacia gums are widely used in the food industry for their technological and nutritional properties.

The main functionalities as a technical ingredient are :

•  Texturiser in sugar and polyols medium,

•  Film former avoiding fat, water and gaz migration,

•  Binder for sugar and polyols compressed products,

•  Emulsifier for oil in water emulsion,

•  Carrier for encapsulation,

•  Stabilizer for colloidal systems.

Texturiser 

Fat migration from the centers of coated products (almonds, chocolate, …) gives the finished dragées an unpleasant stained appearance. To fix the fat and in a certain extend to avoid water exchange between centers and hard coating, it is necessary to protect the center with a fat and water efficient barrier : Acacia gum is the ideal film former for this application.

To delay crystallization of polyols in polyols coated products, Acacia gum is used in the polyol syrup at low concentration (2-3 %) to make the hard coating. Being an anti-crystallizing hydrocolloïd, Acacia gum can be used in a lot of sugar and polyol applications where softening of crystallized sugar layers is needed.

Film former

Fat migration from the centers of coated products (almonds, chocolate, …) gives the finished dragées an unpleasant stained appearance. To fix the fat and in a certain extend to avoid water exchange between centers and hard coating, it is necessary to protect the center with a fat and water efficient barrier : Acacia gum is the ideal film former for this application.

To delay crystallization of polyols in polyols coated products, Acacia gum is used in the polyol syrup at low concentration (2-3 %) to make the hard coating. Being an anti-crystallizing hydrocolloïd, Acacia gum can be used in a lot of sugar and polyol applications where softening of crystallized sugar layers is needed.

Binder

Associated with sugar to make compressed tablets by dry, wet or slurry technologies, Acacia gums bring hardness and cohesion together with better mouthfeel and flavor release when tablets are eaten. Binding properties are also well known for non specific applications such as glue, cigarettes' paper, ceramics, …

Emulsifier

Oil-in-water emulsions are widely used in the food industry, especially in the soft drink application. Emulsifier must give very stable emulsions in concentrated form (containing about 20 % oily phase) in sugar diluted forces (syrup at 64 Brix) and finished soft drinks (at 10 Brix).

The unique natural, non-modified emulsifier/stabilizer is the Acacia gum providing highly stable emulsion for these applications.

The same stabilization functionality is also used for other type of emulsions such as vegetable oil emulsions, oleoresin emulsions, vitamins and polyunsaturated oil composition.

Encapsulation

Matrix encapsulation is often used to prevent oxidation or water migration, or just to make an oily product water that can be dispersed in powder form.

Different kind of carriers could be used but the most effective in term of film forming and efficiency against oxidation is Acacia gum.

Using selected species of Acacia gum, protection from 5 to 40 % of oily product is effective. Essential oils, neutral oils, coloring agents, vitamins and other types of oil supplements are encapsulated with Acacia gums.

Water soluble product could also be protected against hygroscopicity during dryings (sugars, fruit juices, …) or minerals could be coated for better stability or free flowing (cations such as Iron, Copper or minerals such as calcium salts).

Stabilizer for colloidal systems  

Acacia gums have the ability to protect wines against destabilization.

Part of the chemical structure of the gum (arabinogalactoprotein fraction) is able to react with the phenol of the red wine or the Copper and Iron salt of the white wine. It avoids flocculation which occurs during treatment and shelf life. At very low level (20-50 gr. per 100 liter) Oenogum is efficient to stabilize wines. At such low level, Oenogum® provides also some mouthfeel, required effect for white wine. In beer industry, Oenogum is also used to stabilize the foam.

Technological properties of Acacia gum associated to its nutritional properties make Acacia gum particularly interesting because of its bi-functionality.

Acacia gums