Knowde Enhanced TDS
Identification & Functionality
- Ingredient Name
- Food Ingredients Functions
- Ingredients
- Gum Ghatti
- Food Additive Number
- E 419, INS 419
- Technologies
- Product Families
- Sources
Gum Ghatti is a water-soluble complex polysaccharide exuded from
the bark of the tree Anogeissus latifolia of the family Combretaceae.
The tree is quite large and found in large numbers in the dry,
deciduous forests of India and Ceylon. The crude gum has a glossy
fracture and occurs in rounded tears, which are normally less than 1
cm. in diameter. It also occurs in larger vermiform masses. The color of
the gum exudates varies from off white to dark brown. The lighter the
color, the better the quality. Since Ghatti and Karaya are found in the
same geographic areas, the harvesting and grading are similar. The
best crops are picked when the monsoon is not occurring, and the
largest crop is harvested in April. After picking the gum, it is dried in
the sun for several days before being taken to the exporters in
Bombay. It is then hand sorted according to color and impurities into
various grades before being exported to the United States.
Colony Gum’s strict standards regarding color and impurities are
applied to every batch purchased for our mills. After approval, the
exudate is pulverized to a fine mesh powder. Sifting, aspiration and
density-table separation are used during this powdering to remove
impurities. Normally, Colony Gums imports three grades of Ghatti.
Number 1 grade is off-white to buff; number 2 grade is light amber to
brown, and number 3 grade is dark brown.
Features & Benefits
- Food Ingredients Features
- Product Properties
- Physical
Gum Ghatti is almost odorless and has a bland taste. The
commercial powder is 140 mesh and varies from buff to dark
brown. The lightest color has the least impurities and the
greatest effectiveness in most applications.- Solubility
Gum Ghatti is 80 to 90% soluble in water and can be dispersed
in hot or cold water to form a colloidal sol. Ghatti dispersions
are not affected by small amounts of acid or alkali since the gum
acts as a buffer and reverts to its normal pH of about 4.8. The
finer the particle size of the powdered gum, the faster the gum
will swell and reach its maximum viscosity. If the gum is coarser
than 150 mesh, the sols will be grainy and will require a longer
time to reach maximum viscosity due to the individual gum
particles swelling, but still maintaining their individual particles.
Gum Ghatti will not form a true gel. Dry films are relatively
soluble and brittle. Ghatti has good emulsifying properties.- Viscosity
At 3–5% gum concentration, a highly viscous (100 to 500 cps.)
dispersion of uniform smoothness and texture results. The dispersions
are non-Newtonian, as is true of most water-soluble gums, and their
viscosity increases geometrically with concentration. The viscosity is
greater than Arabic, but less than Karaya. Viscosity is a function of pH.
It is highest at pH 8: however it is quite stable from pH 3 to 11.- Chemical Characteristics
Gum Ghatti is a calcium-magnesium salt composed of L-arabinose,
D-galactose, D-mannose, D-xylose, and D-glucuronic acid in a molar
ration of 10: 6:2:1:2 and less than 1% of 6-deoxyhexose. The molecules
may have an overall rod shape in solution. Crude Ghatti has between
0.9–15% total impurities. 1.4-10.0% total ash, and 0.02–5.8% acidinsoluble
ash. Moisture content varies from 12 to 15%.
Applications & Uses
- Markets
- Applications
- Food & Nutrition Applications
- Qualities
- Stabilizer
- Acidizing Aid
- Uses
- Pharmaceutical
- Cosmetic
- Food
- Industrial
Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics
In the United States, Ghattis is used to prepare stable, powdered,
oil-soluble vitamins as well as a stabilizer in oil-in-water emulsions.
Foods
Ghatti stabilizes butter-containing table syrups. It is used at about
0.4% in combination with 0.08% lecithin. Ghatti modifies the refractive
index of table syrup until the syrup becomes clear.
Industrial
Powdered Ghatti is used in ammonium nitratesemigelatin mixtures,
and powdered explosives to improve their resistance to water
damage. This allows the explosive cartridge to be submerged in water.
The gum absorbs any water seeping in the cartridge and forms a
surface protection for the interior explosive so that its detonation
sensitivity is not impaired. Ghatti is used in varnishes and emulsifying
oils, such as 40% kerosene oil. It acts as a stabilizer in auto polishes
and wallpaper gum sizings. Ghatti has been used with polyacrylamide
to aid in the polymerization and formation of uniform and discrete
prills of cross-linked polystyrene. Gum Ghatti prevents fluid loss in oil
well drilling muds when used at low concentrations in neutral mixtures,
and in high salt concentration. It also prevents fluid loss at elevated
temperature. It is used in the acidizing of oil wells in combination with
a water-insoluble nonaqueous liquid that is inert to both the gum and
acid. Ghatti also finds application in emulsification of petroleum and
non-petroleum waxes to form liquid and wax paste emulsions.
Technical Details & Test Data
- Compatibility
Ghatti is compatible with other plant hydrocolloids as well as
carbohydrates, most proteins and some fats. Viscosity loss is noted
below pH 3 and above pH11. A higher apparent viscosity is observed in
an aqueous Ghatti dispersion containing 25% ethanol.- Preservatives
The gum is similar to other hydrocolloids that are subject to bacterial
attack. Methyl and proply parahydroxybenzoate at a maximum of
0.15% and 0.02% concentration respectively are effective
preservatives. Glycerin and propylene glycol may also be used. and
will adapt to most food systems. A Carrageenan gel will start
losing some of its strength at pH below 4–5 and above 10.