Excerpts from Bender, Arnold E. 1990. Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology. Butterworths, Boston.
Obtained from East Indian trees of the genus Sterculia. Used as stabilizer, e.g. in frozen water ices; also used in combination with other stabilizers; sometimes used as a laxative.
Ruth Winter.1978. A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives. Crown Publishers, Inc., New York.
The dried exudate of a tree found in India. The finely ground white powder is used in gelatins and in gumdrops, prepared ices, and ice cream, and as a filler for lemon custard. Also a citrus and spice flavoring agent for beverages, ice cream, ices (1,300 ppm), candy, baked goods, meats, toppings (3,500 ppm), and emulsions (18,000 ppm). Used instead of the more expensive gum tragacanth and in bulk laxatives. Reevaluated by the FDA in 1976 and found to be GRAS in the following percentages: 0.3 for frozen dairy desserts and mixes; 0.02 percent for milk products; 0.9 percent for soft candy; and 0.002 percent for all other food categories.
