Rosin glyceryl ester, commonly known as ester glue, is a multi-purpose resin used in adhesives, coatings, inks and other markets. Their unique functionality has led to specialized food applications in beverages and chewing gum.
An interesting example is the use of wood rosin glyceryl esters (GEWR) as a beverage weighting agent (BWA) for citrus flavored beverages. The app was created through long-term partnerships with beverage customers and regulators. Food applications require rigorous testing to prove safety and comply with all global standards. The safety of ester of rosin was initially established through rigorous toxicology testing and further proven through fifty years of use in global beverage production. Active support of the regulatory process demonstrates an ongoing commitment to product safety, which consumers around the world expect from all food additive manufacturers.
Scientific opinions issued by the European Food Safety Authority in 2010 and 2018 reiterate that a valid safety assessment of rosin glycerides in food applications should take into account species-specific differences and require appropriate compositional and toxicological data. The original GEWR was derived from longleaf and slash pine, and its approval was based on testing to ensure the safety of the food additive.
Beverage weighting agent technology
Many citrus-flavored beverages, such as carbonated soft drinks and sports drinks, are emulsions of flavored oils in water. These beverages are technically challenging, requiring the production of emulsions in the form of concentrates, syrups, and diluted beverages that are stable over a range of storage and handling conditions. Beverage instability can cause oil droplets to migrate to the surface of the liquid, adversely affecting taste and appearance. Emulsifiers and BWA are required for emulsion stability. BWA is used to increase the density of the dispersed flavor oil phase, thereby reducing the density difference between the oil phase and the water phase and enhancing stability.
Rosin glycerides are the best-known and most commonly used weighting agent in the beverage industry. There are two different types on the market: GEWR and glycerin rosin (GEGR). GEWR was considered an ideal candidate for BWA in the 1960s. This versatile resin is based on natural, renewable raw materials and has excellent solubility in essential oils. Extensive application development and product safety testing processes make GEWR the premier beverage weighting agent on the market. GEGR followed in the footsteps of GEWR in an attempt to achieve the same broad market acceptance.
