Gum arabic · E414
Gum acacia, every grade and form.
Senegal and Seyal, supplied as cleaned lump, hand-picked selected (HPS), kibbled, and mechanical powder (milled). Wild-harvested in Sudan's acacia belt, origin of roughly 70% of the world's supply, for the processors who make every downstream grade.
Two species
Senegal. Seyal.
Different trees, different chemistry, different price points. We supply both, and we help you match species to specification. In the market you will also hear the origin names: Hashab for Acacia senegal, Talha for Acacia seyal. We supply both grades.
The two species are distinguished in the lab by specific optical rotation, about −30° for Senegal and about +50° for Seyal. It is the standard quality-control check that confirms species identity.
Additional acacia varieties, including A. polyacantha, are available on request for specialized applications.
Specification & identity
Typical values; exact figures vary by lot. Every shipment ships with a Certificate of Analysis (COA).
Identity & compliance
| Identity | Gum arabic (gum acacia) · CAS 9000-01-5 · INS 414 / E414. Recognized under the JECFA, USP-NF, European Pharmacopoeia and FCC monographs for gum arabic. |
| Status | GRAS in the US (ADI not specified). Non-hazardous and biodegradable. |
| Odor and taste | Bland. |
| Solubility | Fully water-soluble. |
| Bulk density | 300–600 g/l |
| Soluble dietary fiber | ≥85% (typically ~90%) |
| Calorific value | ~1.7 kcal/g |
| Typical purity (heavy metals) | Total heavy metals <5 ppm · lead ~0.2 ppm · arsenic <0.2 ppm · mercury <0.02 ppm · cadmium <0.02 ppm |
By species: Senegal (Hashab) vs Seyal (Talha)
| Parameter | Acacia Senegal · Hashab | Acacia Seyal · Talha |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Amber, transparent, hard lumps | Red-brown, friable fragments |
| Protein | ≈ 2.0% | ≈ 0.8% |
| Viscosity (25% w/v, 25°C) | ≈ 100 cps | ≈ 80 cps |
| Emulsion capacity | High | Low |
| Specific optical rotation | ≈ −30° | ≈ +50° |
| Solution pH | ≈ 4.5 | ≈ 4.4 |
| Ash | ≈ 3.2% | ≈ 2.7% |
Senegal is the emulsifier of choice for beverage emulsions and spray-dried flavors; Seyal is the cost-effective route to fiber enrichment.
We supply to food-grade and processing-grade specifications; pharmaceutical-grade finishing (spray-drying, pasteurization) is performed by our processor customers.
Forms & particle sizes
Four raw formats, selected and graded at origin.
A range of natural forms to meet your process and application needs. Spray-dried powder is what our processor customers manufacture; everything below is raw material, selected and graded at origin.
Cleaned Lump
Natural, sun-dried gum nodules, cleaned of bark and sand. The raw article for processors and grinders.
Hand-Picked Selected (HPS)
Clean, large, premium: pale lump individually selected by hand at origin. Our flagship export grade.
Selected whole lump, graded
Kibbled
Uniform size, easy to handle: crushed and sieved granules for faster dissolution and clean dosing.
Approx. 0.5–6 mm granules
Mechanical Powder
Processed using mechanical size reduction (milling): a fine raw-material format, not spray-dried.
125–500 microns · pin-milled
Baobab powder — a different botanical, naturally dried in the pod — is presented separately on the Baobab page. Spray-dried powder is not in this range; that is what our processor customers manufacture.
Why it works
What acacia gum does.
Natural emulsifier
Encapsulation & stabilization
Film-forming & binding
Prebiotic dietary fiber
Low viscosity, high solubility
Clean label & plant-based
Why formulators choose gum arabic
A hydrocolloid unlike any other.
Gum arabic is the only major hydrocolloid that is both a powerful emulsifier and almost viscosity-neutral. Solutions stay essentially Newtonian and pourable up to about 40% concentration and can be made as high as 50–55% w/v, where most gums gel at 1–2%. Gum arabic is also stable across a wide pH range, about 3 to 9. That unique combination — high solubility, low viscosity, an amphiphilic protein–polysaccharide structure — is why it remains irreplaceable in beverage emulsions and spray-dried flavors.
Gum arabic's emulsifying power comes from its arabinogalactan-protein (AGP) fraction, which adsorbs onto oil droplets while the large hydrophilic carbohydrate chains extend into the water phase and keep the droplets apart through steric repulsion. This is why Acacia senegal is the reference-standard emulsifier for oil-in-water beverage emulsions.
It is also ≥85% soluble dietary fiber on a dry basis (typically around 90%), a clinically studied prebiotic, and one of the cleanest ingredients in the world: a wild-harvested tree exudate, naturally organic. It holds GRAS status in the US and E414 classification in the EU, compliant with JECFA, USP and FCC monographs.
Viscosity at working concentration
Relative solution viscosity: why gum arabic loads where others gel
Indicative comparison at typical use concentrations; exact values vary by lot and measurement conditions.
How encapsulation works
The amphiphilic AGP fraction anchors oil droplets; the polysaccharide forms the wall.
Soluble dietary fiber & prebiotic
The fastest-growing reason to buy acacia.
Functional food formulators have rediscovered gum arabic as the ideal clean-label fiber: clinically studied, genuinely prebiotic, and invisible in the finished product.
From product to microbiome
How a clinically studied prebiotic fiber actually works
Formulated in
Heat- and acid-stable, low viscosity — it disappears into beverages, dairy, bakery and supplements without changing texture.
Travels intact
Human enzymes can’t break its bonds. Acacia fiber passes the stomach and small intestine undigested.
Feeds good bacteria
In the colon it is slowly fermented, selectively nourishing bifidobacteria and lactobacilli.
Gentle benefit
Slow fermentation means short-chain fatty acids for the gut lining — without the gas and bloating of fast fibers.
Clinical studies: 10–15 g/day increased bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in healthy adults; well tolerated at doses up to 40 g/day. FDA-recognized dietary fiber (2021); E414 in the EU.
Acacia vs other fibers
Fiber content, comfortable daily dose and texture impact compared
Indicative values from published clinical and formulation literature; inulin and FOS commonly cause digestive discomfort near 10 g/day, while acacia fiber is well tolerated at 30–40 g/day.
Why formulators choose acacia fiber
Ingredient-selection guidance for product developers weighing acacia against other soluble fibers such as inulin and FOS.
Dissolves readily in cold or hot systems — no slurry stage, no sediment.
Well tolerated at high inclusion, where inulin and FOS are often limited to lower levels in finished products.
Fits low-FODMAP formulation targets — a growing requirement in digestive-wellness lines.
A wild-harvested tree exudate: clean label, vegan, allergen-free.
No flavor impact at any practical dosage, where inulin can affect flavor at higher levels.
Delivers texture, mouthfeel, body and emulsification alongside fiber content, frequently at a competitive cost per kilo.
One material, two label identities
The same gum is declared differently depending on its role. As a functional additive it appears on-pack as “gum acacia (E414)”, used at the level needed to achieve a technical function, with no fiber claim. As a nutritional ingredient it is declared as “acacia fiber”, has no maximum use rate, and supports fiber content claims — in the EU, roughly 3 g per 100 g qualifies for “source of fiber” and 6 g per 100 g for “high in fiber”. US thresholds differ.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is a raw ingredient and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Applications matrix
Which gum for which job.
Built around the buyers we serve: flavor houses, spray dryers, food & beverage, pharma, cosmetics and nutraceutical formulators.
Spray-drying & encapsulation
Flavor houses · spray dryers
Wall material with superb film formation and oxidation barrier; protects volatile flavors and actives through drying and shelf life.
Soluble dietary fiber & prebiotic
Functional food · nutraceutical
≈90% clinically studied soluble fiber and single-ingredient prebiotic: feeds bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, tolerated up to 40 g/day, zero texture impact. FDA & EU fiber claims.
Emulsification
Food & beverage
Stabilizes citrus and cola oil-in-water emulsions at low viscosity: the classic beverage-cloud hydrocolloid.
Confectionery & glazing
Confectioners
Binder and glazing agent for pastilles, wine gums, panned goods and bakery shine.
Tablet coating & binding
Pharmaceutical
USP-grade binder, film-coat component and demulcent carrier with full pharmacopoeial documentation.
Emulsion stabilization
Cosmetics
Natural origin stabilizer and film former for creams, lotions and masks. INCI: Acacia Senegal Gum.
| Application | Target buyers | A. senegal | A. seyal | Typical form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spray-drying & encapsulation | Flavor houses · spray dryers | HPS / kibbled — spray-dryer feedstock | ||
| Soluble dietary fiber & prebiotic | Functional food · nutraceutical | Kibbled / mechanical powder | ||
| Emulsification | Food & beverage | — | HPS / kibbled | |
| Confectionery & glazing | Confectioners | Kibbled / mechanical powder | ||
| Tablet coating & binding | Pharmaceutical | — | HPS (Hand-Picked Selected) | |
| Emulsion stabilization | Cosmetics | Selected lump, milled fine |
Grades & packing
The commercial range.
Every lot ships with a full certificate of analysis. Custom grinds and specifications on request.
| Species | Grade | Form / mesh | Quality | Packing | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acacia Senegal | HPS (hand-picked selected) | Whole lump | Premium pale lump | Big bags · 25/50 kg PP or kraft bags | Beverage emulsion, pharma, premium encapsulation |
| Acacia Senegal | Cleaned grade 1 | Lump / kibbled | Standard export | Big bags · 25/50 kg PP or kraft bags | Spray-drying, confectionery, general food |
| Acacia Senegal | Mechanical Powder | 125–500 microns | Mechanically milled | 25/50 kg PP or kraft bags | Convenient raw input: fiber fortification, technical uses |
| Acacia Seyal | Cleaned grade | Fragments / kibbled | Standard export | Big bags · 25/50 kg PP or kraft bags | Fiber enrichment, confectionery, technical |
| Acacia Seyal | Mechanical Powder | 125–500 microns | Mechanically milled | 25/50 kg PP or kraft bags | Dietary fiber & prebiotic: ready-to-blend raw format |
Storage: no special precautions. Keep dry and at ambient temperature, and reseal opened bags to prevent moisture pickup.
Origin
From the heart of the gum belt.
Sudan produces roughly 70% of the world's gum arabic. Our supply comes from the belt's core — Kordofan, Kassala & Gedaref, Darfur and the Blue Nile — through relationships built over three decades.
Work with us
Send us your target spec.
Tell us mesh size, viscosity, microbiology, packing and volume. We'll come back with the right grade and a firm offer.