Weekly Tidbit
August 6, 2026
Tara gum is "Less risky", than LBG and/or guar. At least, so says Yuka, even if we, at IMR, don't agree. The Yuka app gives tara gum the coveted Grean dot and calls it "Risk-free". Whereas LBG and guar, which have been used far longer and in much larger volumes than tara gum, Yuka deems of "Limited Risk", and gives these two hydrocolloids a Yellow dot. All three hydrocolloids are galactomannans, the main difference being the ratio of galactose to mannose side chains. All three have been approved and used for decades. Guar and LBG are used more widely and in larger volumes than tara which entered the market more recently. Why and how Yuka arrives at a different risk assessment for LBG and guar vs tara gum is beyond us.
Why the focus on Yuka by IMR? Because the Yuka website claims to have no less than 87 MILLION users of the app and because Yuka has an enormous impact on consumer behavior:
For better or worse "Consumer perceptions are the producers' reality"
Several efforts by IMR to contact and interview Yuka have failed so far. Below some screenshots of Yuka scans of products at a supermarket in Paris. Note that, even pectin, is listed with a yellow dot "Limited Risk". Only tara has a green dot, "No Risk".
Two hydrocolloids that are not as well known as those regularly covered by IMR in The Quarterly Review of Food Hydrocolloids:
We are seeing flax seed gum on food labels in France, declared as "Fibres de Lin" (Flax Fiber). It is used in a strawberry sorbet. Label images at this link HERE. It's noteworthy that Yuka lists this product as having "No Additives" - Really?? The label itself lists "Fibres de Lin" as "Ingredient a role stabilisant" - a stabilizer.
Tamarind seed gum (TSG), producers claim it has good potential in high protein dairy. It may partially replace LBG and/or guar gum. Tamarind gum is much lower viscosity than LBG or Guar and can be used at higher levels. TSG is a purified form of Tamarind kernel powder (TKP) (which is not permitted as a food additive? To be checked).
The US tariff situation continues to be a risk factor for hydrocolloid buyers and sellers. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs were removed in Q1 this year. The current administration immediately began building a case to expand Section 301 tariffs. The expansion is based on forced labor law enforcement. The US Trade Representative (USTR) proposed Section 301 tariffs on 60 "economies" (the EU is considered one economy). The final tariffs of 10% or 12.5% (depending on the economy), were announced July 23 and took effect July 24.
The surprise for the hydrocolloid industry is that several products appearing in the proposed exemption annex are exempt only when imported for pharmaceutical applications. Food-grade CMC, MC/HPMC, xanthan (which were exempted from the IEEPA tariff), and gellan are subject to the tariffs. Most other hydrocolloids are subject to the new 301 expansion, with exceptions including Indonesian agar (but not carrageenan) and some native starches. Gum arabic from Sudan and Chad is unaffected because neither country was investigated.
There is much more detail in each issue of The Quarterly Review of Food Hydrocolloids. If your company is not a subscriber and would like to become one; The subscription/confidentiality agreement is HERE. Our motto says it all with
"Good Information = Good Decisions"
Subscribers become partners and are invited to contact IMR at any time with follow-up questions.
