Gum Arabic

Gum arabic is the dried exudate of Acacia senegal (hashab) and Acacia seyal (talha), used as an emulsifier and stabiliser in soft drinks, confectionery and pharmaceuticals. Hashab commands a premium for its superior emulsifying performance. Supply is concentrated in the Sahel, which introduces political and logistics risk that buyers should plan around with dual sourcing.

Why go through us rather than buying direct

With raw materials the legality risk sits upstream of whoever sells to you. Under EUDR and the timber regulations the obligation lands on the importer, and a supplier's word is not a defence if you are challenged. We trace the chain back to the plot or the mill and keep the evidence you would need to produce.

One thing to watch. Sudanese supply carries route and continuity risk. Where gum arabic is critical to a formulation, a qualified second origin should be approved before it is needed.

We source this from the countries below. Origin is not a preference. It decides which phytosanitary and licensing rules apply, what specification is achievable, how the freight routes and what sanctions exposure you take on. We choose it against your compliance and delivery needs, not on price alone.

Put the parameters below in your brief with a tolerance against each, not a single target figure. A specification without tolerances gives the contract nothing to fall back on when a cargo lands marginally out.

• Grade designation (RSS, TSR, WW/WG rosin grade, T1 to T4 wax)
• Dirt and ash content (%)
• Volatile matter (%)
• Acid value and softening point (°C)
• Colour (Gardner or Lovibond)
• Dry rubber content (% DRC)
• Plasticity retention index (PRI)
• Species (Acacia senegal or Acacia seyal)
• Moisture content (%)
• Ash content (%)
• Optical rotation
• Nitrogen content (%)
• Viscosity
• Microbiological limits

We appoint an independent inspection agency at origin. They check quantity, quality against what was contracted, and the condition of the packaging, all before the shipment is released for loading. That certificate is what any later claim rests on.

Send us a brief covering the points below. Within one working day we will tell you whether we can fulfil it, how we would approach it, what paperwork it needs and roughly how long it takes.

• Which grade of Gum Arabic you need, with tolerances
• Volume, and whether this is one shipment or a regular requirement
• Where it needs to land, which port, and by when
• Any certification you need: organic, Halal, Kosher, RSPO, FSC or other
• Preferred Incoterms and how you want to pay
• Packaging format and any labelling