Plant Gum Exudates of the World: Sources, Distribution, Properties, and Applications

Considered the magicians of the food ingredient world, gums (hydrocolloids) are used in a variety of food applications. They possess excellent thickening, binding, emulsifying, suspension, water-holding, gelling, and viscosity properties.The first comprehensive reference produced on gums in more than half a century, this resource classifies most every gum in use according to its botanical taxonomy. Each entry contains the botanical name and synonyms of the tree or shrub from which it is exuded; a list of common and vernacular names; information on geographic distribution; common names for the gum; descriptions of appearance and color; information on its water solubility, chemical characteristics and structural features, physical and physicochemical properties; a description of its commercial availability; and its industrial and food applications.The commercial and functional uses of other parts of the trees from which the gums originate are also detailed.Color photographs are supplied to present many of the gum exudates in their natural state as well as the relevant tree, leaves, flowers, or other important botanical parts of the plant. Where pictures are not available, line drawings are used.