gum+arabic~ayuni~

__**By Ayuni Shazwani:**__ __**GUM ARABIC**__

__**QUESTION**__
 * 1) What is gum arabic?
 * 2) In what respect gum arabic is different (unique) compared to other gums?
 * 3) Why gum arabic is very important for the food industry?

__**ANSWERS**__
 * 1) Gum Arabic is the oldest and best-known of all natural gums. Gum Arabic is the dried, gummy exudation obtained from various species of Acacia trees of the Leguminosae family.
 * 2) Gum Arabic is unique among the natural hydrocolloids because of its extremely high solubility in water. Most common gums cannot be dissolved in water at concentrations higher than about 5% because of their very high viscosities. Gum Arabic, however, can yield solutions of up to 50% concentration. At these high levels, it can actually form a highly viscous, gel-like mass similar in character to a strong starch gel. In addition to forming high-solids gels of this type, Gum Arabic can be used at much lower concentrations in combination with other gums as thickeners and binders. Beside that, gum arabic can emulsion and stabilizing different with other gums. Gum Arabic is emulsion because it have amount protein complexs.
 * 3) Gum Arabic is very important for the food industry because used widely in the confectionery industry. Gum Arabic has two important functions to retard or prevent sugar crystallization and to emulsify the fat and keep it evenly distributed throughout the product. For prevention of sugar crystallization, Gum Arabic finds its greatest application in confections in which sugar content is high and moisture is low. The emulsification properties of Gum Arabic are utilized in various liquid flavor emulsions. Many citrus oils and other beverage flavor emulsions utilize the emulsification properties of the gum. Gum Arabic also gives soft candies a desirable mouth feel and as a sweetener and as an additive in foods and beverages.