Gum arabic
A natural gum from acacia trees, used to thicken, stabilise and stop sugar crystallising in confectionery, drinks and coatings.
Documented as a cause of IgE-mediated occupational asthma ('printer's asthma') in workers inhaling the powder.
What is it?
Gum arabic (also called acacia gum) is a dried exudate collected from the stems and branches of Acacia senegal and related acacia tree species, mainly grown in the Sahel belt of sub-Saharan Africa. It is a complex mixture of polysaccharides and glycoproteins. It has been used in food for thousands of years and was one of the first substances ever reviewed by international food safety bodies.
What does it do?
In solution, gum arabic forms a viscous, stable colloid that resists breaking down. It acts as an emulsifier by coating oil droplets and preventing them from coalescing, and as a thickener and stabiliser by increasing the viscosity of the water phase. In confectionery it inhibits sugar crystallisation, giving smooth textures in sweets and chocolate coatings. It is also used as a film-forming agent in glazes and as a carrier for flavours and colours.
Where you will see it
Confectionery (jelly sweets, gummy bears, hard-panned sweets, chewing gum), sugar-coated chocolates and dragees, wine gums, some soft drinks and flavoured syrups, beer (as a foam stabiliser), bakery glazes, icing, instant desserts, and some dietary supplements where it acts as a prebiotic fibre carrier. On a UK label it appears as gum arabic, acacia gum, or E414.
What the science says
Prebiotic fibre effect
Gum arabic is almost entirely fermented in the large intestine by colonic bacteria, which produce short-chain fatty acids from it. This fermentation increases populations of beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Several human trials have confirmed the prebiotic effect at typical dietary intakes. At very high intakes (above roughly 30g a day) gas production from fermentation can cause bloating and loose stools.
Supplementation with 10g per day of acacia gum increased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus counts in healthy adults in a randomised crossover trial.
EFSA re-evaluation confirmed that gum arabic is fermented in the colon, produces short-chain fatty acids, and has a prebiotic effect; no adverse effects were observed in subchronic or carcinogenicity studies at the highest doses tested.
Infant formula use and the 2019 EFSA restriction
EFSA conducted a follow-up assessment specifically covering use of gum arabic in foods for infants below 16 weeks of age. The panel concluded that it could not establish safety at the levels proposed for infant formula for that very young age group, citing insufficient data on colonic fermentation capacity in early infancy. This led to a restriction: gum arabic is not permitted in formula for infants under 16 weeks old under EU Regulation 609/2013. This restriction does not apply to older infants, children, or adults.
EFSA concluded it could not establish safety of gum arabic in infant formula for babies below 16 weeks of age due to insufficient toxicity and tolerance data for that developmental stage.
Allergy and sensitisation
Occupational asthma and rhinitis have been documented in workers with heavy airborne exposure to gum arabic dust, particularly in the printing and food manufacturing industries. As an ingested food additive at typical amounts in food, allergic reactions are considered very rare and not a declarable allergen under UK food law. The glycoprotein fraction is the likely allergenic component.
Occupational sensitisation to gum arabic has been described in printers and food-industry workers with high inhalational exposure; IgE-mediated reactions to the glycoprotein fraction have been confirmed.
Ingested gum arabic at food-additive levels is not classed as a declarable allergen under UK/EU food information law; reported dietary allergic reactions are rare and case-report level only.
Where it stands with the regulators
Who should be careful
Parents of babies under 16 weeks old: check that any infant formula or food intended for very young infants does not list gum arabic or E414, as it is not permitted at that age. People known to have an acacia allergy (rare, usually occupationally acquired) should look for gum arabic, acacia gum, or E414 on the label.
The honest read
Gum arabic is one of the most thoroughly reviewed food additives in international safety assessment, with JECFA evaluations from the 1980s and an EFSA re-evaluation completed in 2017. Both bodies concluded there was no basis for setting a numerical ADI, meaning they found no dose at which harm appeared in the studies available. The one area that remains genuinely unresolved is use in formula for very young infants: EFSA could not confirm safety there in 2019 because the data for that specific developmental stage were not available, leading to a regulatory restriction. For everyone else, the science is long-established and the restriction does not apply.
Related additives
Common questions
Is E414 banned in the UK?
No. Gum arabic (E414) is approved for use in the UK as a food additive. It is listed on the UK FSA approved-additives list, last updated April 2025. It is restricted in formula for babies under 16 weeks of age, but it is not banned generally.
Can babies have food containing E414?
Gum arabic is not permitted in infant formula intended for babies below 16 weeks of age. This restriction came from a 2019 EFSA review that found insufficient data to confirm safety for very young infants. It is not restricted for older infants, toddlers, or children.
What foods contain E414?
Gum arabic is most common in jelly sweets, gummy confectionery, sugar-panned chocolates and dragees, some soft drinks and flavoured syrups, beer, bakery glazes, chewing gum, and dietary supplements. On the label it appears as gum arabic, acacia gum, or E414.
Is E414 vegan?
Yes. Gum arabic is derived entirely from the dried sap of acacia trees, with no animal-derived ingredients. It is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Sources
- UK FSA: Gum arabic (acacia gum) E414 authorisation record
- EFSA ANS Panel: Re-evaluation of acacia gum (E 414) as food additive (2017)
- EFSA ANS Panel: Re-evaluation of acacia gum (E 414) in foods for infants below 16 weeks (2019)
- Calame et al.: Acacia gum and gut microbiota, British Journal of Nutrition (2008)
- UK FSA: Approved additives and E numbers
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