Street:233 Suydam Ave., Jersey City, NJ, 07304-3399, USA
MaxCard:
About us
Welcome To Our Site!
The uses of Gum Acacia date back about 5000 years to the time of the ancient Egyptians, and it is the oldest and best known of all the natural gums. Among its many ancient applications, Gum Acacia was used as a binder in cosmetics and inks, and as an agent in the mummification process.
Egyptian fleets shipped Gum Acacia as an article of commerce. Ancient inscriptions frequently refer to "KAMI", a form of Gum Acacia used as a pigment binder and adhesive in painting. It was eventually introduced to Europe through various Arabian ports acquiring the name "Gum Arabic" after its place of origin.
During the Middle Ages, Gum Acacia trade was carried on through ports controlled by the Turkish Empire, thus giving rise to the name "Turkey Gum". An export trade was also developed for a time around Bombay – thus, "East Indian" or "Indian Gum".
Gum Acacia senegal is defined as the dried exudate obtained from the stems and branches of Acacia senegal (Wildenow) or the related species of Acacia (Fam. Leguminosae). It consists mainly of high molecular weight polysaccharides and their calcium, magnesium and potassium salts, which on hydrolysis yield arabinose, galactose, rhamnose and glucuronic acid.
Three principal fractions have been identified in Gum Acacia senegal:
Arabinogalactan -- 88% of the molecule and approximately 15% of the polypeptide fraction
Arabinogalactan-protein complex – 10% of the molecule and nearly 50% of the polypeptide
Glycoprotein – 1% of the molecule and again nearly half of the polypeptide fraction
Currently over 70% of the world’s supply of Gum Acacia is produced and exported by the Sudan. More than two different distinct species of acacia occur in the Sudan but the majority of the commercial gum comes from Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal. The other major supplying areas are Chad and Nigeria. Gum Acacia has also been sourced, although in small quantities, from Senegal, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger.
Strangely, Gum Acacia is only produced by trees that are in an unhealthy condition. Gum yields are improved by natural factors that lessen the vitality of the trees – hot weather, poor soil, lack of moisture, etc.
It is important to remember that a damaged tree will give a larger yield of gum. Thus, the natives will cut and strip the bark from a tree and return later to remove the tears of gum that form in the wounds or scars. Within 3 - 8 weeks, the gum will start to collect in the wound, but this depends on the weather conditions. Gum droplets are about 0.75 - 3 inches in diameter, and they gradually dry and harden on exposure to the atmosphere. A young tree will yield 400 - 7000g annually.
The dry season lasts from October to June and the gum is collected every 10 days. During the rainy season no gum is formed since the trees are in full bloom. After collection, the gum is brought from the farms and stands to villages. From there it’s transported to market. In the Sudan, the gum is auctioned (under government supervision) and this usually sets the world price.
When the gum is auctioned, there is a basic cleaning process including sieving, hand selection and grading. The main purpose of this cleaning process is the removal of sand, bark, extraneous material and any adulteration with other gums
Importers Service Corp.Tel:201-332-6970 Fax:201-332-4152 Email:iscgums@iscgums.com Address:233 Suydam Ave., Jersey City, NJ, 07304-3399, USA,07304-3399
American Samoa
