Gum ghatti vs gum arabic: an emulsifier alternative from India
By the IndoFolk Wellness Care Team | Last reviewed October 2026
Quick answer: Gum ghatti is a natural tree exudate from India (Anogeissus latifolia) that can stabilise oil-in-water emulsions such as beverage flavour emulsions. One published study found it gave the best stability at about half the gum arabic level (5% vs 10%). It is GRAS-listed in the US and has an INS number (419) at Codex, but we found no EU food additive authorisation. Treat it as a partial, market-specific alternative, not a drop-in swap.
Gum arabic supply has been under strain since the war in Sudan began in April 2023, and Indian buyers have felt it: India's gum arabic imports (HS 13012000) rose 64% to ₹486 crore in FY2024-25 (DGCI&S trade data, FY2024-25). For formulators of beverage emulsions, confectionery coatings and personal care products, that raises an obvious question: is there a home-grown Indian gum that can carry part of the load?
Why are buyers looking beyond gum arabic?
Sudan is the world's leading gum arabic producer. Official figures cited by Radio Dabanga put its pre-war exports at 100,000–150,000 tonnes a year; in the 2023–24 season they fell to about 48,000 tonnes. The same report notes that Sudan, Chad and Nigeria together supply about 95% of the gum arabic traded internationally, so there are few quick alternatives within the acacia category.
For a brand, that means:
price volatility and longer lead times on acacia gum;
higher risk of quality drift as buyers switch origins and grades;
a case for qualifying a second hydrocolloid before the next disruption, not during it.
Indian tree gums are already moving: gum karaya exports rose 98% in FY2024-25 (DGCI&S trade data, FY2024-25). Gum ghatti is the Indian gum most often compared with gum arabic for emulsification.
What is gum ghatti?
Gum ghatti (also called Indian gum or ghatti gum) is the dried gummy exudate from wounds in the bark of Anogeissus latifolia, a tree native to India and Sri Lanka. JECFA describes it as mainly the calcium salt (occasionally magnesium) of a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide that yields arabinose, galactose, mannose, xylose and glucuronic acid on hydrolysis. It is traded as tears or as a grey to reddish-grey powder.
How does gum ghatti perform against gum arabic?
The evidence is promising but limited, and mostly comes from abstracts rather than full papers.
Point of comparison | Gum ghatti | Gum arabic | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
Level giving best stability in one beverage-emulsion study | About 5% | About 10% | ProQuest abstract (see Sources) |
1:1 blend of the two | Total emulsifier reduced to 3% without loss of stability | — | Same study |
Sensitivity to oil-phase level (20–40% oil) | No effect on stability observed | Largest changes observed | Dłużewska et al., 2006 |
Known limitation | Larger droplets and a lower oil-load ceiling (under 20% oil) in one research abstract | Long-established reference emulsifier | Kinoshita et al. abstract |
How to read this:
The "half the dose" figure is real but study-specific. It comes from one beverage-emulsion study. Your oil phase, weighting agent, pH and processing will change the result.
Blends look more practical than full replacement. The same study reported that a 1:1 mixture let the total gum fall to 3% without reducing stability.
Watch droplet size and oil load. One research abstract reports that standard gum ghatti gives larger droplets and tolerates less oil than other emulsifiers, which matters for clear beverages and high-load flavour emulsions.
Run your own pilot trials with droplet-size measurement and an accelerated stability test before changing a commercial formula.
What is gum ghatti's regulatory status?
This is where most sourcing decisions are made. Check each market separately.
Market or body | Gum ghatti | Gum arabic |
|---|---|---|
JECFA (FAO/WHO) | ADI "not specified" (84th meeting, 2017) | Evaluated by JECFA |
Codex | INS 419; added to GSFA Table 3 after CCFA50 | Established food additive (E 414 in EU) |
United States | GRAS, 21 CFR 184.1333: emulsifier, max 0.2% in non-alcoholic beverages and bases, 0.1% in other foods | GRAS, 21 CFR 184.1330: e.g. max 2.0% in beverages and bases |
European Union (food) | No E number and no specification in Regulation (EU) No 231/2012; we found no authorisation | Authorised as E 414 |
Great Britain (food) | Not on the FSA list of approved additives | Approved as E414 |
EU cosmetics (CosIng) | Listed as "Ghatti Gum" (binding, emulsifying, emulsion stabilising) | Listed as "Acacia Senegal Gum" (film forming, fragrance) |
Key points:
US food and beverage: gum ghatti is GRAS-affirmed with use limits. Note that the beverage ceiling (0.2%) is far lower than gum arabic's (2.0%), so check the in-use level in the finished drink, not just in the emulsion concentrate.
EU and UK food: do not plan an EU or GB food launch on gum ghatti without written confirmation from your regulatory adviser. We could not find it on the EU additive specification list or the UK approved list.
Cosmetics: gum ghatti has a CosIng entry, which makes it a candidate emulsion stabiliser in personal care, subject to your safety assessment.
Other markets: JECFA notes it is permitted in Japan and the USA. For any other country, check the national additive list for your exact food category.
What should a gum ghatti specification include?
Base your specification on the JECFA monograph and 21 CFR 184.1333, then add your own functional tests. Where the two differ, the stricter limit is the safer default for multi-market products.
Parameter | JECFA | 21 CFR 184.1333 |
|---|---|---|
Loss on drying | Not more than 14% (105 °C, 5 h) | Not more than 14% |
Total ash | Not more than 6% | Not more than 6.0% |
Acid-insoluble ash | Not more than 1.75% | Not more than 1.75% |
Lead | Not more than 2 mg/kg | Not more than 10 ppm |
Arsenic | — | Not more than 3 ppm |
Microbiology | Salmonella negative; E. coli negative in 1 g | — |
Viscosity (1% solution) | — | Within the range claimed by the vendor |
Add to this:
identity test (the lead acetate test in both texts distinguishes ghatti from acacia);
particle size and colour (raw tears contain bark that must be removed before food use);
an emulsifying performance test in your own system;
pesticide residues and, for organic claims, lot-specific certification.
Our guide to testing Ayurvedic ingredients and checking a CoA explains how to verify that results are lot-specific.
How should you trial gum ghatti?
Confirm the regulatory route for each target market and product category.
Request two or three lots from different collection batches to see natural variation.
Run side-by-side emulsions: your current gum arabic level, gum ghatti alone, and a 1:1 blend.
Measure droplet size, viscosity and stability over time and under heat.
Check the finished product against the in-use limits that apply (for example, 0.2% in US beverages).
Lock the specification and approve a backup lot before switching volumes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can gum ghatti replace gum arabic?
Partly. In one beverage-emulsion study, gum ghatti gave its best stability at about 5% against about 10% for gum arabic, and a 1:1 blend cut the total to 3%. Another abstract reports larger droplets and a lower oil-load limit with gum ghatti. Most buyers should trial blends first and confirm regulatory status in each market.
Is gum ghatti approved in the EU?
We found no EU authorisation for gum ghatti as a food additive. It has no E number and no specification in Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012, and it is not on the UK FSA's approved additives list. It is listed in the EU CosIng database as a cosmetic ingredient. Confirm with your regulatory adviser before any launch.
Is gum ghatti GRAS in the USA?
Yes. 21 CFR 184.1333 affirms gum ghatti as GRAS for use as an emulsifier and emulsifier salt, at up to 0.2% in non-alcoholic beverages and beverage bases and 0.1% in all other food categories, as served. The regulation also sets limits for arsenic, lead, ash and loss on drying.
What is the INS number for gum ghatti?
Gum ghatti is INS 419. JECFA's 86th meeting report records that the Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA50) agreed to include gum ghatti (INS 419) in Table 3 of the Codex General Standard for Food Additives, after JECFA set an ADI "not specified" in 2017.
Work With IndoFolk Wellness
IndoFolk Wellness is a New Delhi sourcing and export coordination partner; we work with vetted Indian processors rather than owning factories. We can arrange gum ghatti samples from more than one lot, collect CoAs against your specification and coordinate export documents. Request samples or a spec sheet.
Related Reading
Sources
Gum ghatti specification monograph (FNP 52; metals revised at 57th JECFA, 2001), FAO JECFA
Evaluation of certain food additives (84th JECFA report), WHO Technical Report Series 1007
21 CFR 184.1333 Gum ghatti, Legal Information Institute (Cornell)
21 CFR 184.1330 Acacia (gum arabic), Legal Information Institute (Cornell)
Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 laying down specifications for food additives, EUR-Lex
Approved additives and E numbers, Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK)
Effect of gum arabic and gum ghatti on the stability of beverage emulsions (abstract), ProQuest
This article is general information, not legal, regulatory or veterinary advice.
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