Octenyl succinic acid modified gum arabic
An effective modified emulsifier that keeps flavor oils suspended in beverages.
- Category
- Emulsifiers
- Vegan
- Yes
- Vegetarian
- Yes
What it is
A chemically modified version of natural gum arabic, engineered to have superior emulsifying properties for oil-in-water mixtures.
How it is used in food
Octenyl succinic acid modified gum arabic (OSA gum arabic) is acacia gum given short hydrophobic side chains, which makes it a far more powerful emulsifier than the unmodified gum. That lets beverage makers keep citrus and other flavour oils evenly suspended through months of shelf life at much lower gum concentrations, avoiding the 'ringing' of oil at the neck of the bottle, and it does the same job in spray-dried flavour and vitamin encapsulation.
Commonly found in- Flavor emulsions
- Soft drinks
- Dressings
Health and safety
Approved by EFSA with no significant toxicological concerns, though modified starches are sometimes scrutinized.
EFSA's 2010 opinion on OSA-modified gum arabic concluded it was of no safety concern for the proposed uses, noting the degree of substitution is low, the octenyl succinate is released and metabolised as expected, and no genotoxicity or adverse effects were seen in toxicity studies; it was authorised as E 423 with defined use limits, chiefly in flavour emulsions. Subsequent reviews of OSA-modified polysaccharides more broadly have not raised new concerns, though EFSA has flagged that exposure to the whole class of modified starches and gums deserves periodic reassessment.
Regulatory status
| Region | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia & New Zealand FSANZ |
Permitted | Permitted under the FSANZ Food Standards Code. |
| European Union EFSA / European Commission |
Permitted | Authorised for food use under EU regulations (Annex II). |
| United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration) |
Permitted | Authorised for food use by the FDA (often GRAS for standard additives). |
Identification on labels
- E-number
- E423
Worth knowing
The octenyl succinate trick is the same chemistry used to make 'modified food starch' emulsifiers such as starch sodium octenyl succinate: attaching a small oily tail to a big water-loving polysaccharide creates a molecule that behaves like a polymeric surfactant. It was approved in the EU relatively recently, in 2010, specifically to solve flavour-oil emulsion stability in soft drinks.
Conclusion
An effective modified emulsifier that keeps flavor oils suspended in beverages.
References
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