What is E413 used for?

It is used as an emulsifying agent, as a component of pills, hand lotions, and medicinal lubricating jellies, as a demulcent, and as a sizing material. In pharmaceutical and food industry, it is used as an emulsifier, thickener, stabilizer, and texturant additive (E413).

What is preservative E413?

Origin: A natural polysaccharide, produced from the tree Astralagus gummifer found in Iran, Syria and Turkey. Function & characteristics: Thickening agent, stabiliser and emulsifier.

Is tragacanth a emulsifying agent?

Tragacanth is a natural gum obtained from the dried sap of several species of Middle Eastern legumes of the genus Astragalus [18]. It is a viscous, odorless, tasteless, water-soluble mixture of polysaccharides. Tragacanth is used as a suspending agent, emulsifier, thickener, and stabilizer.

What is gum tragacanth?

Gum tragacanth is another ancient gum of commerce, being described by Theophrastus in the third century BC. It is the exudate of the Astragalus bush which grows close to the ground and which has a long root that is tapped.

What is E415 in food?

Xanthan gum, a high-molecular-weight extracellular polysaccharide widely used as a thickener, emulsifier and stabilizer in food with the European food additive number E415.

Why are e numbers bad for you?

In the US and EU, products containing tartrazine must carry a warning that they may cause allergic-type reactions in susceptible people. One study found that tartrazine led to an allergic reaction in about a quarter of people with allergies.

What is the function of gum tragacanth?

Gum tragacanth is an effective suspending agent for many pharmaceutical products. It generally acts to suspend the active ingredient by increasing the viscosity of the external phase and thus prevents undissolved material from settling out.

What is an example of an emulsifying agent?

For example, a little soap will stabilize an emulsion of kerosene in water. Milk is an emulsion of butterfat in water, with the protein casein as the emulsifying agent. Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil in vinegar, with egg yolk components as the emulsifying agents.

What are the dangers of xanthan gum?

Xanthan gum is safe when up to 15 grams per day are taken. It can cause some side effects such as intestinal gas (flatulence) and bloating. People who are exposed to xanthan gum powder might experience flu-like symptoms, nose and throat irritation, and lung problems.

What kind of Medicine is gum tragacanth used for?

Gum tragacanth is used in medicinal oil emulsions, such as cod liver oil. As an emulsifier, it facilitates the absorption of poorly soluble substances, such as steroid glycosides and fat-soluble vitamins. It is also used in various types of elixirs and syrups where low calorie intake is required.

Is it safe to use tragacanth as a food additive?

Several investigations of the toxicity, immunogenicity and teratogenicity of gum tragacanth support its use as a food additive (Strobel et al., 1982; Eastwood et al., 1984; Anderson, 1989). In Europe, tragacanth is a permitted food additive under code E413 without restrictions on use.

How is gum tragacanth used in ice cream?

Gum tragacanth is also used in frozen pie fillings. Gum tragacanth has been used as a stabiliser in ice cream mixes at concentrations of 0.2–0.35%, giving smooth body and texture. It is also used with frozen fruits that are to be suspended in the ice cream.

What kind of gel is tragacanth made out of?

Tragacanth is sold in the form of flakes or a powder, which form a gel when mixed with water (hydrocolloid) and can be stirred into a paste. Alternatively, it can be dissolved in water, forming a viscous solution that is tasteless and odourless.