TIC Gums recently filed a provisional patent application for its latest breakthrough gum system, called TicaPAN Coating System.

TIC Gums recently filed a provisional patent application for its latest breakthrough gum system, called TicaPAN Coating System.

According to senior principal scientist Dr. Mar Nieto, the continued high demand and uncertain supply of traditional gum arabic led to the development of the new gum system. “The risk of not having a supply of enough gum arabic is becoming a real concern for the chewing gum and confection industry, a field of application in which gum arabic replacement has not been available,” he explains.

Indeed, gum arabic is a common ingredient in many confections used to seal products like nuts, chocolate pieces, malt balls and various oil-containing centers, to ensure the proper hard-panning of chewing gums and certain chocolate products and to bind and strengthen shell coatings that contain sugar or sugar alcohols. As Nieto points out, although maltodextrin can be an inexpensive substitute for sugar binding, it is not as effective as gum arabic in larger batch sizes and coating pans because of its weaker and crumbly crystals.

Beyond acting as a gum arabic replacement, TicaPAN Coating System offers other functional benefits. “The TicaPAN Coating System has shown equal to or better drying time than gum arabic controls, with a comparable texture profile when used in pan coating of chewing gum,” Nieto points out.

TIC Gums’ TicaPAN Coating System meets standards to qualify for sugar-free and non-cariogenic labeling, and is also available in a non-GMO version.

TIC Gums
800/899-3953
www.ticgums.com