ABSTRACT
In a number of regions in India, the clean nodules of a certain variety of gum ghatti are consumed as a comfort food and are regarded as a sign of prosperity. Gum ghatti and gum karaya are found in very similar geographical regions, and consequently, the harvesting and grading techniques for the two are also similar. The native distributional range of gum ghatti covers India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Gum ghatti is used sparsely in food, drug, and cosmetic products, mainly as a stabilizer for oil-in-water emulsions. Gum ghatti is an amorphous, translucent exudate of the Anogeissus latifolia tree of the family Combretaceae. "Gatifolia", a new gum ghatti product, is manufactured by a non-chemical physical procedure that involves dissolution, filtering, sterilization, and spray-drying. Gum ghatti is permitted in the United States as an emulsifier in non-alcoholic beverages and beverage bases at a maximum level of 0.2%.
