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E414ThickenerLow concern
Acacia Gum
In plain words
The short version
Gum arabic — exudate of acacia trees, the dominant beverage emulsifier and a clean-label dietary fiber.
Why it's green
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
ADI not specified — one of the safest food additives, with millennia of dietary exposure. Acts as a soluble fiber in the colon (well-tolerated at high intakes, ~30 g/day, where other fibers cause GI distress).
The detail
Tapped from the wounded bark of Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal, native to the Sahel belt of Sub-Saharan Africa. Sudan is the dominant world producer. The dried tears are graded, milled, and spray-dried. One of the oldest commercial food additives — used in ancient Egyptian baking and Roman cosmetics.
The classic beverage emulsifier — stabilizes citrus and cola flavor oils in soft drinks, suspends solids in instant coffee and dry beverage mixes. Builds chewy texture in gummies and marshmallows. Provides gloss in hard-candy panning. Increasingly marketed as a prebiotic soluble fiber in supplements.
Off-white to pale amber powder or spray-dried granules. Very high cold-water solubility (~50% solutions are pourable) — unique among gums. Mildly acidic; stable across food pH range. Forms low-viscosity solutions even at high concentration, which is key to its beverage role.
In the EU it is authorised at quantum satis (no numerical maximum) in the food categories where it is permitted, apart from foods for infants and young children. In the US it is GRAS with maximum use levels set by food category, from 1% in food categories not specifically listed up to 85% in soft candy, under 21 CFR 184.1330.
Sources
- EFSA ANS Panel — Re-evaluation of acacia gum (E 414) as a food additive (2017) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal), 2017. ADI not needed / no safety concern; up to 30 g/day tolerated; EU quantum satis except infant foods
- EFSA FAF Panel — Re-evaluation of acacia gum (E 414) in foods for infants below 16 weeks and follow-up (2019) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal), 2019. No health concern for infants below 16 weeks
- WHO JECFA database — Gum arabic (INS 414) — World Health Organization / JECFA, 1989. JECFA ADI not specified
- 21 CFR 184.1330 — Acacia (gum arabic) (eCFR, current to 13 Oct 2026) — US Office of the Federal Register / FDA, 2026. US GRAS status with maximum use levels per food category
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.