E417 Emulsifier

E417 USED derivatives are being proposed as antifouling against marine organisms that can grow on ship hulls. E417 Those tannins are of the hydrolysable type. Gallic acid is the main constituent of tara tannins (53%) and can be easily isolated by alkaline hydrolysis of the plant extract.

Quinic acid is also a constituent of the tara tannins. Its tannins are colorless or light making them suitable a pre mordant in the dyeing of cotton and other cellulose fibres.

The tree can also be a source of lumber and firewood and as a live fence.

The seeds can be used to produce black dye, while dark blue dye can be obtained from the roots.

E417 is a white or beige, nearly odorless powder that is produced by separating and grinding the endosperm of E417 seeds. E417 consists of a linear main chain of (1-4)-β-D-mannopyranose units attached by (1-6) linkages with α-D-galactopyranose units. The major component of the gum is a galactomannan polymer similar to the main components of guar and locust bean gums that are used widely in the food industry. The ratio of mannose to galactose in E417 is 3:1.E417 has been deemed safe for human consumption as a food additive.E417 is used as a thickening agent and stabilizer in a number of food applications. A solution of E417 is less viscous than a guar gum solution of the same concentration, but more viscous than a solution of locust bean gum. Generally, tara gum presents a viscosity around 5,500 cps (1% aqueous solution). Furthermore, tara gum shows an intermediate acid stability between locust bean gum and guar gum. It resists the depolymerisation effect of organic acids down to a pH of 3.5. This gum is also stable to high-temperature treatment, up to 145 °C in a continuous process plant. Blends of tara with modified and unmodified starches can be produced which have enhanced stabilization and emulsification properties, and these are used in the preparation of convenience foods, such as ice cream. One example is the American ice cream brand Breyers.

The European food additive number for tara gum is E417. Tara gum is listed on the Canadian List of Permitted Emulsifying, Gelling, Stabilizing, or Thickening Agents (Lists of Permitted Food Additives) as item T.2B.

E417 USED The Italian company Silvateam is a producer of tara gum for the food and beverage industries. Silvateam's website uses Caesalpinia spinosa as the Latin name of the plant, and notes that it is also called Peruvian carob. Silvateam encourages the use of tara gum in ice cream to provide "freeze-thaw stability by preventing the formation of ice crystals".

Medicinal uses in Peru include gargling infusions of the pods for inflamed tonsils or washing wounds; it is also used for fevers, colds, and stomach aches. Water from boiled, dried pods is also used to kill fleas and other insects.