Following a request by Nexira, a global natural ingredients supplier, the US-FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) has expanded safe use of acacia gum (known as gum Arabic or Babul in India) across the food and beverage industry. The FDA has permitted higher levels of acacia gum to be used in beverages, soups, breakfast cereals, baked goods and other products.
This would help food manufacturers to use greater amounts of acacia gum in their products, and promote higher fiber content to customers.
Nexira has spent almost two decades researching the nutritional benefits of FibregumTM, its unique range of acacia gum with a guaranteed content of health soluble fiber, said a statement released by the company.
“The R&D team at Nexira will continue to improve the functional performance of acacia gum with the vision of innovating new products for even higher value-added applications. We stand by our guarantee of high-quality, all natural products, coming from environmentally friendly cultivation (no use of pesticides or fertilizers) with traceability of each batch from the tree to you,” said the company.
Nexira had filed a food additive petition in December 2011 in the US to propose amendment in Food Additive Regulations in order to provide for expanded and safer use of Acacia Gum in food products. The petition proposed to list Acacia Gum as a source of dietary fiber in the existing food categories.
New maximum limits permitted by US-FDA:
1. Alcoholic beverages – 20%
2. Breakfast cereals – 6%
3. Bakery – 3%
4. Snacks bar – 35%
5. Soups – 2.5%