On March 16, 2026, Tanzania, on behalf of the East African Community (EAC), notified WTO document G/SPS/N/TZA/524, formally introducing a draft regional standard for Gum Arabic. Since the launch of trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on January 1, 2021, the EAC has intensified its efforts in food safety and trade harmonization, with member states accelerating the unification of regional food technical standards. This new standard represents a landmark development within the regional food product standardization framework.

Gum Arabic is an important emulsifier and stabilizer widely used in the food industry, and is also a key export commodity for Africa. The newly released draft standard, DEAS 1326:2026 Gum Arabic — Specification, is the first edition and is intended for implementation across EAC member states.

The standard strictly limits the botanical origin of “Gum Arabic” to the dried exudate obtained from Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. var. senegal or Acacia seyal. Gum Arabic derived from other Acacia species, such as Acacia polyacantha, is excluded from the scope of the standard.

The draft standard establishes limits for heavy metals such as arsenic and lead, and introduces microbiological controls for pathogens including Salmonella and Escherichia coli. It also specifies requirements for moisture content (generally ≤15% to prevent mold growth), total ash, and acid-insoluble ash.

In addition, the standard introduces testing requirements for specific optical rotation and nitrogen content to distinguish between A. senegal and A. seyal. A. senegal is typically levorotatory and has a higher protein content, whereas A. seyal is generally dextrorotatory with lower protein content.

Simultaneously, the EAC also released DEAS 1327:2026 Gum Arabic — Code of Practice for Harvesting, Processing and Grading, which requires the establishment of a full traceability system covering the entire supply chain from farm harvesting to final packaging. The code further emphasizes the prevention of cross-contamination during storage, handling, and processing.

Reference

https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2026/SPS/TZA/26_01424_00_e.pdf