Eating Gluten Free - Types And Significance Of Gums

Posted by Jonas Greminger on August 25th, 2016

There are several kinds of gums includes in gluten free food which includes gum arabic, karaya gum as well as tara gum. In this write-up, we will explore the types and roles of various kinds of gums in gluten free food and if those are safe for people suffering from allergies with gluten.Whenever you make a food item free from gluten, you are actually taking out the binding agent from food. It is for this reason, bakers usually use gums to bring back that stickiness in dough back again.

The first one among these is the Gum Arabic. It is also referred to as the "Acacia Gum". In terms of the chemistry, the acacia gum is the amalgamation of the complex polysaccharides and proteins. Whilst, molecularly, this arabino-galactan-protein complex is a great fusion of the complex branches along with the trapping water in its 'folds' for the plant use. Moreover, as per its applications, it is utilized in various products varying from the ink to the ice cream and is favorable in making the texture of icing, chewing gum and other confectionary treats stronger.

Proceeding towards the second one, the Karaya Gum. It is toxically, treated as the safer gum for the internal consumption. This is the multifaceted and partially acetylated polysaccharide gained as the calcium and magnesium salt. Since the gum is somewhat acetylated, it may liberate the acetic acid during the storage. Hence, it is not digested or absorbed consistently. However, it is a type of the medicinal remedy that is produced by the tree of genus sterculia in the India. Therefore, the gum karaya is also called as the "Indian Tragacanth Gum".  Wait! It can also be used as the emulsifier and stabilizer in the certain foods. So, be specific!

Last but not the least is the Tara Gum. It is one of the gluten-free gum which is utilized in the gluten-free food worldwide to provide the rigid texture to salad dressing, jelly and candy. Well, it is actually a natural additive, produced by grinding the endosperm of the seeds of the Caesalpinia Spinosa of the Leguminosae family. Quite complex! Moreover, it is mainly utilized as a replacement for the locust bean gum and guar gum.  But, remember, it is a white-yellow odorless powder that dissolves completely in the hot water but partially soluble in the cold water.

For making gluten free food, you can choose any of these three gums. These can either be used individually or in combination. The final combination mainly depends on the kind of thickness you wish to give to your product.