How often have you picked up a food product, looked at the ingredient listing, and found the word “gum”? If your experiences are anything like mine; it's all too often. But do you know what gums really are, and why they are in our foods?

Guar Gum comes from the Guar bean (a drought resistant bean, it is used for food and fed to cattle). It is used as a thickening agent – popular because it is up to 8 times as thick as corn starch. Guar Beans are notoriously difficult to digest and anyone who has digestive problems or a food allergy-compromised digestive system should pay close attention to see if Guar Gum is listed in the ingredient list. You should also consult your allergist to find out if Guar Gum is a friend or foe.

Xanthan Gum as developed in the US in the ‘60s and is the slimy result of the fermentation that takes place when a type of bacteria (the type that causes black rot to form on vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower) is mixed with corn sugar. Those with corn allergies should be vigilant about their reaction to this gum and some people are specifically allergic to it. It’s very popular in food production (especially salad dressings and ice cream) as it creates a flowing gelatinous, homogenized texture.

Locust Bean Gum, also called Carob Gum or Carubin, comes from the seeds of the carob tree. A much more friendly gum, it has been used since ancient times for its thickening properties, both culinary and otherwise - it was actually used by the Egyptians to paste the bandages onto mummies - it is now added to dressings and ice creams and is a useful alternative additive to thicken pie fillings instead of corn or wheat products.

Acacia Gum which is also called Gum Arabic, comes from the bark of the Acacia Tree and is primarily used as an emulsifying, stabilizing and thickening agent in ice cream, candy and syrups.

Needless to say, in today’s food processing, sometimes gums are a necessity – but read the labels carefully as you can see, not all gums are the same!