Appearance (Colour)
White to off-white yellowish
Appearance (Form)
Powder
Solubility (Colour) 10% aq. solution
Viscous brown
Ash
max. 4%
Acid insoluble ash
max. 1%
Loss on drying
max. 15%
Starch & Dextrin
Passes test
Glucose & Fructose
Passes test
Agar Tragacanth
Passes test
Application
Gum arabic is a complex mixture of glycoproteins and polysaccharides. It was historically the source of the sugars arabinose and ribose, both of which were first discovered and isolated from it, and are named after it.
Gum arabic is used primarily in the food industry as a stabilizer. It is edible and has E number E414. Gum arabic is a key ingredient in traditional lithography and is used in printing, paint production, glue, cosmetics and various industrial applications, including viscosity control in inks and in textile industries, although less expensive materials compete with it for many of these roles.
