Karaya gum is manually collected from Sterculia trees
Alland & Robert has developed a new way of treating karaya gum, allowing it to be used alone or with other hydrocolloids for the formulation of coatings, fillings, dressings, desserts and emulsified sauces.
The French company said the new method reduces the total plate count of hydrocolloids while preserving all their functional properties, meaning karaya gum can respond to new texture improvement needs.
This major innovation is based on a concept of flash heating, which is said to give karaya gum great microbiological quality. Alland & Robert said the process “assures a remarkable homogeneity of the temperature within the treated gums”.
Karaya gum is a natural gum obtained by the incision of the stems and branches of sterculia trees. It is hand-collected from the trees growing on dry and rocky areas, mainly in specific regions of Africa (especially in Senegal and Mali) and India.
Karaya gum can be found in a wide variety of goods such as dietary products, desserts, doughnuts, savoury sauces, ready-to-eat meals, ice creams, and biscuits
It has been used for many centuries and is still very common in traditional African and Indian cooking.
The gum can be found in a wide variety of goods such as dietary products, desserts, medication, doughnuts, savoury sauces, ready-to-eat meals, ice creams, and biscuits.
In a statement, Alland & Robert said: “Without any chemical modification, Karaya gum offers many functional properties: texturing and bulking agent, dietary fibre, adhesive compound, viscosity control agent, water retention and suspending properties. Karaya gum’s effect on textures is significant, even at low concentrations.
“It is 100% natural and vegetarian, free from pesticides and GMOs. It contains no gluten and is high in fibre.”
Since 1884, Alland & Robert has been specialised in natural gums and promotes the use of natural and sustainable ingredients in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
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