But big-name manufacturers of everything from soda to chewing gum are bracing for a smaller effect: shortages of a vital ingredient called gum arabic. Rural regions in Sudan produce 70% of the world’s supply, reports Reuters, while the Wall Street Journal estimates the figure is even higher, at 80%. The resin is harvested from acacia trees in rural Sudan and helps bind ingredients together. “For companies like Pepsi and Coke, they can’t exist without having gum arabic in their formulations,” Dani Haddad of Agrigum, one of the world’s biggest distributors, tells Reuters. Chad and Nigeria also produce gum arabic, though far less than Sudan.

Source: The Star May 08, 2023 04:09 UTC