What Do People Know About Food Additives and More Specifically Acacia Gum?
Alland & Robert, an international leader in acacia gum, asked the polling organisation Toluna to carry out a survey in the UK, Germany, Japan and the USA regarding their nutritional knowledge, in particular regarding acacia gum. The responses were both surprising and unexpected!
More than 58% of British people always read food labels before purchasing
58.47% of the 1,000 British people surveyed confirmed that they consistently read food labels before buying a product (35.36% do it occasionally). Moreover, more than 65% recognise that the letter E represents a food additive.
However, the question concerning the origin of these food additives proved to be more difficult. In fact, almost 40% are unaware that food additives can be either natural or chemical, and 32.77% wrongly believe that food additives are solely chemical!
Acacia gum (also known as Arabic gum) is a 100% natural additive and sap exudate taken from an incision in the acacia tree trunk. In addition to the product’s natural origin, the harvest – carried out in the Sahel countries in Africa – is also natural.
Guaranteed pesticide and GMO-free, acacia gum also functions as an emulsifier and a stabilising agent and is used in many applications:
- Confectionary (chewing gum, sweets, sugared almonds…)
- Fizzy and soft drinks
- Bakery goods and pastries
- Dairy products and ice cream
- Health products
- Snack foods
49% of British people asked are unaware of the practical uses of acacia gum. Furthermore, only 22.41% know that it is present in bread while on average, over 42% of Americans are aware of this.
…And almost 46% prefer products which are a source of fibre
45.62% of the British survey respondents are particularly drawn to food products that are rich in fibre (although in Germany this figure is even higher at 65.45%!). However, more than 82% aren’t aware that acacia gum is a very fibre-rich dietary additive! Furthermore, the acacia gum producer Alland & Robert ensures at least 90% fibre content.
As a source of fibre, acacia gum has many advantages, including: resistance to acidity and heat, no side effects nor intestinal troubles, low in calories, and a very low glycaemic index, as well as scientifically-proven prebiotic effects.
