Cerestar Food & Pharma Specialties Europe, a unit of US food and agribusiness Cargill, has said it is marketing a starch-based alternative to gum arabic due to shortages of the ingredient worldwide.
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The company said C*AraSet is a hydroxypropylated acid-thinned tapioca starch and is, after gelatinisation, suitable as a replacement for gum arabic in most gums (pastilles), coatings (as a binding agent) and other applications.
“With the current crisis in the Sudan, gum arabic is on the agenda of food and beverage manufacturers, as a worldwide shortage pushes up prices. We are promoting C*AraSet as a replacement for gum arabic, on the request of many customers concerned at current stock levels. Given the historic and current fluctuations in the supply of gum arabic, and the good results displayed by C*AraSet in application trials, it’s likely that demand for this modified starch will continue over coming years,” said Mark Wastijn, marketing director of Cerestar Food & Pharma.
Gum arabic, a natural emulsifier used extensively in food and beverages, is obtained from various species of Acacia trees. Almost all gum arabic is exported by three African countries.
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