Glycerol ester of wood rosin (GEWR), also known as glyceryl abietate, gum rosin or ester gum, is an oil-soluble
food additive
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives, such as vinegar ( pickling), salt ( salting), smoke ( smoking) and sugar ( crystallization), have been used f ...
(
E number
E numbers, short for Europe numbers, are codes for substances used as food additives, including those found naturally in many foods, such as vitamin C, for use within the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Commonly ...
E445). The food-grade material is used in foods, beverages, and cosmetics to keep oils in
suspension in water,
WHO Food Additives Series 35: 836. Glycerol ester of wood rosin
/ref> and its name may be shortened in the ingredient list as glycerol ester of rosin. It is also used as an ingredient in the production of chewing gum and ice cream.
To make the glycerol ester of wood rosin, refined wood rosin (for example, from solvent extraction of aged pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae.
''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...
stumps) is reacted with glycerin
Glycerol () is a simple triol compound. It is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting, viscous liquid. The glycerol backbone is found in lipids known as glycerides. It is also widely used as a sweetener in the food industry and as a humectant in pha ...
to produce the glycerol ester
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...
.
Glycerol ester of wood rosin is an alternative to brominated vegetable oil
Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) is a complex mixture of plant-derived triglycerides that have been modified by atoms of the element bromine bonded to the fat molecules. Brominated vegetable oil has been used to help emulsify citrus-flavored bevera ...
in citrus oil-flavored soft drinks. In some cases, both ingredients are used together.
References
{{reflist
External links
Standard Terminology Relating to Pine Chemicals, Including Tall Oil and Related Products
Resins
Food additives
Adhesives
E-number additives