What makes Agrigum different?

Agrigum is a major processor of Gum Acacia (Arabic) producing the comprehensive Agri Range of Gum Acacia products, other hydrocolloids and associated blends to specific client requirements.

The Agrigum Commitment

Agrigum assures all its customers of its firm commitment towards:

-Providing the highest quality of service at all times.

-Ensuring that the appropriate quality products are provided for specific applications.

-Guaranteeing a customer focused approach.

-In-house scientists promote the latest developments in formulations and look after specific customer requirements.

-Providing ‘hands-on’ approach to customer care.

A worldwide presence

Agrigum is one of the world’s major processors of Gum Acacia. It is a fully integrated natural gums company, with buying organisations in each of the major Gum Acacia producing countries in Africa to provide unparalleled sourcing and buying strengths, whilst assuring the highest quality and guaranteed supply of its raw materials at all times.

Factories in Africa and Europe

Agrigum has long and established arrangements with factories in Africa and Europe. Agrigum maintains full control over all stages in the production of its comprehensive Agri Range.

A comprehensive range of services

The company has the scale of operations to supply the highest quality products with complete reliability to service global contracts for the most sophisticated of food, flavour and beverage, confectionery, pharmaceutical, printing and industrial applications.

Individual needs call for intelligent solutions

The company formulates its Agri Range of Gum Acacia products specifically to meet the requirements of end users, and can develop custom products for contracted volumes.

Research and Development

Whilst the process control and quality control laboratories maintain the highest standards of gum production, the company’s research and development laboratory provides:

-Technical support services

-Development of custom products specific to customers’ requirements

-Continuous process and product improvement

A Complete Service

Agrigum is a fully integrated Gum Acacia and natural gums company with long established roots in the producing countries, therefore ensuring the continuity and quality of gum supply. It has available large scale and efficient processing plants for its Agri Range, which together with the company’s attention to excellent product quality and customer service provide an unbeatable gum package to our customers.

Adapting to change

Managing change is the important thing. Agrigum’s history in Gum Acacia trading can be traced back for over a century. We have built on this heritage to become a major processor and global supplier.

In addition to our own research and development programmes, the company maintains close contact with the academic institutions specialising in gum technology.

Official Definitions

Gum Acacia, also known as Gum Arabic, is a natural gum harvested from the exterior of Acacia trees in the form of dry, hard nodules about 10-50mm in diameter, and ranging from almost colourless to brown. Its unique properties endow it with a wide range of uses in food, beverage, confectionery, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and industrial applications. The major source of gum Acacia is the Sudan. Other important sources are Chad, Senegal and Nigeria.

Gum Arabic (INS No. 414) defined by FAO/WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) in FNP 52 Add 7 (1999) as:Gum Arabic is a dried exudate obtained from the stems and branches of Acacia senegal (L.) Willdenow or Acacia seyal (fam. Leguminosae). Gum Arabic consists mainly of high-molecular weight polysaccharides and their calcium, magnesium and potassium salts, which on hydrolysis yield arabinose, galactose, rhamnose and glucuronic acid. Items of commerce may contain extraneous materials such as sand and pieces of bark, which must be removed before use in food.

Flavour and Beverage

Gum Acacia is used extensively in the flavour and beverage industry, where its natural properties are fully utilised.

The major property utilised is the natural ability of Gum Acacia to produce and stabilise emulsions. This functionality arises from the high molecular weight Arabinogalactan-Protein complex (AGP) which is an inherent part of the selected Acacia. Our research enables us to identify the best Acacia for this function.

Gum Acacia, arising from its compact structure, is also excellent for encapsulation of flavours as it emulsifies, has low viscosity, bland flavour and protects against flavour oxidation.

The excellent solubility in aqueous solution, low viscosity, bland taste, neutral odour, fibre source and low calorie of gum Acacia has lent itself to many nutritional application. Our designed fibre source product Agri-Spray Acacia Fibre affords all the benefits associated with soluble fibre without adverse effects to the textural properties of food products and beverages.

Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical

Gum Acacia has been used in pharmaceutical applications for many years and it is specified in National, European and USA Pharmacopoeias.

The usage of Gum Acacia in pharmaceutical applications is based on its natural properties of emulsification, stabilisation, demulcent action, adhesiveness and binding action.

Gum Acacia is a 100% water-soluble non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) which is resistant to hydrolysis by the digestive enzymes of humans so delivers in excess of 85% total dietary fibre. Foods containing the requisite amounts specified in the pending EC Health Claims legislation can be labelled “contains a source of fibre”. Gum Acacia is approved for use in food (E414) with non-specified Accepted Daily Intake (ADI) by EC. Our designed fibre source product Agri-Spray Acacia Fibre affords all the benefits associated with soluble fibre without adverse effects to the textural properties of functional foods.

Recent research studies have shown the health benefit effect of Gum Acacia supplement on chronic renal failure patients. The preliminary research results suggest that, this fibre source supplement has increased faecal nitrogen excretion and lower serum urea nitrogen concentration in patients with chronic renal failure.

Confectionery

Gum Acacia is used extensively in the production of confectionery products.

The usage is again based on the natural properties of Gum Acacia such as viscosity, emulsification ability, adhesion, film-forming, pH stability and excellent compatibility with other gums and starches.

These natural properties are utilised to ensure that the finished products have the correct texture, adhesion and coating and controlled flavour release and sugar crystallisation.

Industrial / Non-Food

Gum Acacia is used extensively in industrial / non-food applications.

The equivalent properties that are used in food and pharmaceutical applications, offer extensive new applications. These properties of emulsification, stabilisation, encapsulation, adhesion and binding action ensure wide usage of Gum Acacia.