Ester gum, also known as glycerol ester of wood rosin, is produced by the esterification of purified wood rosin with food-grade glycerol. It is a key ingredient in the beverage industry where it functions as a weighting or density-adjusting agent for citrus oil-based flavor emulsions.
By increasing the specific gravity of flavor oils to match the aqueous phase, ester gum prevents separation and cloudiness loss in soft drinks and juice beverages. It also serves as a plasticizer and base ingredient in chewing gum formulations. Ester gum is approved for food use in many countries and meets international food additive specifications.
