Gum Arabic

Gum Arabic

Posted on 10-11-20

Gum Arabic

Acacia is one of the most popular vegetation of the plant kingdom. Although there are over 1100 Acacia species worldwide, Acacia Senegal and Acacia Seyal remain the most commercially exploited species of the whole Acacia resource. Both species are of African origin.
The Sudanese gum belt extends from latitude 10 to 18 where the habitat Acacia Senegal is sandy soils -arid zones-from latitude 13 upwards. The species play an important ecological role in improving climatic conditions; and preventing desert encroachment. Acacia Seyal domain is the wet clay soils of Central and Northern Sudan -the rich Savanna regions,- from latitude 10 downwards. The whole area of the gum belt is around 25200 squared kilometres (6000 feddans) and is inhabited by over five million Sudanese people.
 

Physical and Chemical Properties of Gum Arabic :

  1. Gum Arabic is a pale white orange brown solid that breaks with glassy fracture.
  2. Highly soluble in water and solution upto 55% can be obtained.
  3. It is insoluble in oils and most organic solvents.
  4. It is regarded as 95% soluble fiber.
  5. Gum Arabic contains neutral sugars like Rhamnose, Arabinose and Galactose.
  6. It contains Glucuronic acid and 4 – methoxyglucuronic acid.
  7. Includes cationic components like calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium.
  8. Molecular weight ranges from 200,000 to 300,000 and as high as 600,000

Applications of Gum

  1. Confectionery
  2. Miscellaneous Bakery Applications
  3. Beverages
  4. Encapsulated Flavours
  5. Pharmaceuticals, Vitamins and Cosmetics
  6. High Fiber Formulations
  7. Miscellaneous Industrial Applications

Acacia Senegal Gum (Hashab) is a pale white to orange-brown solid, which breaks with a glassy fracture, small to medium sized thorny tree, with a stem, which is irregular in form and often highly branched. In leaf, like many other Acacias, it has a dense, spreading crown. The best grades are in the form of whole, spherical tears of varying size with a matte surface texture. When grounded, the pieces are paler and have a glassy appearance.
Acacia Seyal Gum (Talha)has a single straight stem with a characteristic, pronounced color, usually orange-red, to the powdery bark, and straight thorns rather than the curved prickles of A. Senegal, it is more brittle than the hard tears of Senegal Gum.

Gum Arabic Grades:

The grading of Gum Arabic based upon its physical parameters such as color, shape, size and purity, which made it rather simple, can be done by the producers themselves

Acacia Senegal Gum (Hashab)

Hand Picked Selected:

Grade one of Gum Arabic formation of nodules incomplete medium to large size and free from impurities and are sorted manually, a higher priced product and best quality in the world.

Cleaned:

The standard grade varying from light to dark amber. Contains sifting but dust removed.

Kibbled:

This type of grade is produced from of Gum Arabic nodules to small molecules with implanting volumetric homogeneous and specific and this is the first stages of manufacturing or transformative manufacturing.

Sifting:

Fine particles remaining following sorting of choicer grades. Contains some sand, bark and dirt.

Gum Arabic is one of the most important cash-generating export crop in Sudan. It is one of the best of its type in the world. The project aims at processing gum Arabic, locally, to improve exports and benefit from the value-added.

Types of gum :

  • Cleaner Gum Hashab  
  • Gum Hashing Story
  • Gum Hashab precision  
  • Gum Hashab purity    
  • Gum talha safnah  
  • gum talha  
  • dried gum powder  
  • granulated gum  
  • gum talha dirt

The sites producing gum Arabic in Sudan:

– Kordofan region 49.3%

– Kassala region 24.4%

– Darfur region 23.4 %

– White and Blue Nile region 2.9%