Gum Acacia

 

A noble plant extract that comes from the heart of Africa is also known as Gum Arabic

For thousands of years, mankind has known about the unique properties of Gum Acacia and used it in everyday life. For example, the Egyptians used Gum Acacia to encapsulate the pigments in their hieroglyphs: 5000 years later, we can still admire the fantastic properties of Gum Acacia in museums around the world.

 

Where does Gum Acacia come from ?

Gum Acacia is a gum that is harvested off the Acacia Senegal or Acacia Seyal Tree. Acacia Senegal and Acacia Seyal trees grow in Africa in a Sub-Saharan region called the Gum Belt. The Gum Belt stretches from Ethiopia to Mauritania.

The best Acacia trees for Gum Arabic grow in the Kordofan region in east Africa.

Unlike competition, Valmar International is the only business to have their own purchasing and ante-processing facility. Ours is located in El Obeid, in the heart of the Kordofan region.

Thanks to this strategic location, we can select the best quality gums and control the local prices.

Local presence for the best choice

Two or three times a year, the trees branches and stems are tapped by a gum picker. A few weeks later, a ball of amber-colored gum, called a tear (because of its shape) forms. Each tree can yield up to 1 kg (2 lbs) of gum.

The best gums are hand-picked, dried and then sorted in to grades: the clearer and purer the gum, the better.

 

How is it processed ?

Gum Arabic can be used crude, but most of the time it is used in a Kibbled, Powdered or Spray-dried grade

Valmar International selects and purchases only the purest of gums. Our production facility, in the heart of the African desert, cleans the gum and transforms the tears into Kibble (little gems) or powder.

Harsh regulations for top quality products

This raw material is shipped Valmar group facilities where it undergoes strict European quality control. Under severe European regulations, we then transform the product into a selection of spray dried or instant dilution powders according to our customers specifications and requirements. Our facilities have implemented ISO 9001 V2000 processes and procedures.

What does Gum Acacia do ?

According to the grades, Gum Acacia has a numerous amount of functions

Diluted into specific solutions, our different grades of Gum Acacia have the following functions:

• emulsifier
• encapsulating agent
• coating agent
• fibre enrichment
• film forming agent
• thickener
• … Gum Acacia is used in a multitude of applications.