TIC Gums Cautions Against Gum Rosin Use

WHITE MARSH, Md.TIC Gums is advising customers that ester of wood rosin remains the better choice to stabilize fruit-flavored beverages, in light of safety questions raised about gum rosin.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) last month warned there are not enough toxicology and other studies to allow the use of gum rosin as a replacement for wood rosin in beverages.
"Companies considering gum rosin as a substitute should be wary of such a substitution, in light of the European safety group's announcement," says Mat O'Connor, TIC Gums director of global procurement. "We at TIC Gums want to reassure our customers and others that wood rosin remains the most effective and most tested stabilizer for beverages like lemonade and citrus soft drinks."
The EFSA evaluated the safety of glycerol esters of gum rosin (GEGR) after receiving a petition to approve the use of the additive in certain beverage applications.
A U.S.-based manufacturer had sought approval to use GEGR, claiming the ingredient is similar in characterization and technological function to GEWR, currently authorized for use in Europe.
That manufacturer had argued the component resin acids in gum rosin, derived from living pine trees, are identical to those in the wood rosin, made from aged pine stumps. It also maintained the purity and technological functions of GEGR and GEWR are identical.
However, the EFSA said there was insufficient data to support these claims.