Jelutong
CAS: 977011-44-1
Use(s): chewing gum bases and related substances
An additive and ingredient obtained from two trees, Dyera costulata hook. f. (syn. D. laxiflora) and Dyera lowii hook. f. These are both species of trees in the oleander family which includes lilac. These tropical trees are found throughout Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra. They tend to be low-elevation evergreen plants.
Jelutong is often tapped for its milky white latex which became an important source of chewing gum. It is grown more for its timber and as a result has become threatened. The roots are used as a cork substitute.
An additive which is a latex similar in functional behaviour to sorva and an alternative to chicle. It is composed of amyrin acetate and other isoprenoid components.
It is a permitted food additive in Japan and the USA.
Have a look at http://www.lathamtimber.co.uk/products/hardwoods/far-eastern/jelutong as we sell wood products in the UK.
Thankfully this is not a tree listed in the CITES Appendices. The latex was used by manufacturers for chewing gum before the synthetic route was followed. The wood is used for furniture.