Starches and Gums Move Beyond Fat Replacement

A Florida zoo recently telephoned TIC Gums, Inc., with an interesting problem: The zoo’s primates enjoyed gum arabic as a snack, but the zookeepers could not get the gum to dissolve easily. In response, the gum supplier suggested the use of one of its products, Prehydrated® Gum Arabic, which dissolves easily in water with minimal agitation and without forming lumps. Now both the primates and the zookeepers are happy.

I mention this story not because this column is necessarily planning on going ap…