Gum Tragacanth

Tragacanth is the dried exudate from the root of wild shrubs of the Astragalus gummifer Labillardiere genus, which are native to large parts of Middle East. The bushy and thorny shrubs are scratched by the local workers with sharp instruments so that liquid emerges from the cut point. The exudates dry in the form of stripes and flakes, which are harvested by hand from May to September. Further, the ribbon and flakes are traditionally hand selected and categorised into different purity qualities. Polygal AG produces tragacanth gum and sells this natural polysaccharide to the food and pharmaceutical industries.