Beverage World - May 2008 - (Page 62) [ BEVSOLUTIONS R&D ] ASK THE EXPERT: R&D Q: What is glycerol ester of gum rosin (GEGR) and how can it be used in beverage formulations? A: GEGR is the result of reacting natural gum rosin (a mixture of complex organic acids occurring in the pine tree) with food-grade glycerol. It was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005 as equal to glycerol ester of wood rosin (GEWR), which had, until then, been the only rosin ester (of the three types) that could be used for beverages. Indeed, their main raw material, rosin from the pine tree, differs only in how it’s extracted, but it is essentially the same product. The only difference is that, according to T&R Chemicals’ own analyses accepted by the FDA, there is more consistency across batches with gum rosin and therefore GEGR. Since early 2008, GEGR also is synonymous with “estergum,” according to the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) 6th edition, which incorporated GEGR for beverage emulsification alongside GEWR. This Month’s Expert: GEGR is more natural (it is Fredo Arias-King extracted by natural tapping President, from living pine trees) and availT&R Chemicals, Inc. able than GEWR, which is sol915.851.2761 vent-extracted from tree stumps trchemicals.com and manufactured by only one company in the world. GEGR is an emulsifier or weighting agent, which increases the density of citrus oils so they can successfully mix with water and stay mixed through the shelf life of the beverage. The density of GEGR is about 1.05 to 1.07 g/ml, and some citrus oils are about 0.85 g/ml. So, to increase the density of the oil to match that of water, a ratio of about 60/40 GEGR/oil is required. We have learned much about this process since T&R Chemicals was compelled to produce 30 kilograms in studies for the FDA over a period of four years. We are currently running experiments to determine if the 100 ppm (parts per million) limit established by the FDA was appropriate. According to the FCC, estergum intended for the beverage industry must be countercurrent steam distilled, as opposed to just steam-stripped. The result is quite stable—over a year. T&R Chemicals is working to get GEGR approved by other regulatory bodies worldwide. Do you have a beverage R&D question? Send questions to: hlandi@beverageworld.com 62_BEVERAGE WORLD_MAY 2008 BEVERAGEWORLD.COM http://trchemicals.com http://BEVERAGEWORLD.COM
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