DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjams.2025.v13i11.024

Pages: 1935-1938

Acacia pycnantha is a native tree growing in the southern regions of Australia, including South Australia. The tree trunk and branches exude gum during March - May (autumn) which can be collected by simply pulling or cutting from the tree. It was found approximately 60-70% of trees have no gum, 30-40% of trees have some gum yielding on average approximately 10-20g per tree per year and 1-2% of trees, being either mature, damaged or appearing stressed, having significantly greater amounts, yielding over 50-100g per tree per year. An application to Food Standards Australia and New Zealand resulted in a view being formed that Acacia pycnantha gum be recognised as a traditional food for consumption up to 30g per day in these countries. The economic potential of Acacia pycnantha gum as a food, food additive or for medical uses, as is being developed for gum Arabic, requires further research, including how to increase the yield of gum per tree and to create demand.