Is HICOL® guar gum ETO-free?

Yes. HICOL® Guar Gum (E412) from B D Guar is produced without ethylene-oxide treatment. Every batch is tested to the EU 0.1 mg/kg limit of quantification (sum of ETO + 2-chloroethanol expressed as ETO) and ships with a Certificate of Analysis.

Is B D Guar guar gum compliant with EU Regulation 2026/196?

Yes. Our E412 food-grade guar gum is manufactured to meet the updated purity, heavy-metal and microbiological specifications set out in Reg. (EU) 2026/196, which amends Reg. (EC) 1333/2008 and (EU) 231/2012.

What is the EU limit for ethylene oxide in guar gum?

0.1 mg/kg — the limit of quantification (LOQ) applied to ethylene oxide (expressed as the sum of ethylene oxide + 2-chloroethanol calculated as ETO) in all EU food additives, including E412 guar gum.

Do you provide a Certificate of Analysis with every shipment?

Yes. Every consignment includes a batch-specific COA covering ETO / 2-chloroethanol, heavy metals and microbiological parameters, plus a signed non-ETO declaration and specification sheet.

EU Regulation 2026/196 Explained: What It Means for Guar Gum (E412) Buyers in 2026

On 29 January 2026 the European Commission published Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/196, updating the specifications for a range of hydrocolloid food additives — including guar gum (E412). This is a plain-English guide for EU and UK buyers: what actually changed, how it interacts with the standing ethylene-oxide (ETO) limit, and what to check on your next supplier COA.

What is Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/196?

Reg. (EU) 2026/196 was published on 29 January 2026 and amends two long-standing EU food-law instruments: Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, and Regulation (EU) No 231/2012, which sets out the technical specifications (purity, heavy metals, microbiological limits, etc.) for authorised food additives. The 2026 amendment tightens the numbers for several hydrocolloids including guar gum, locust bean gum and related gums.

How does it change guar gum (E412) specifications?

The core changes for E412 are:

Tighter purity criteria and stricter numeric limits for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium);
More rigorous microbiological criteria — total plate count, yeasts & moulds, and absence of pathogens (E. coli, Salmonella);
Withdrawal of E412 from certain infant / food for special medical purposes (FSMP) categories, with a temporary derogation for infant FSMP until 27 April 2027 to allow reformulation.

The regulation does not question the safety of guar gum in the vast majority of food applications — it aligns the E412 monograph with current analytical capabilities and EFSA re-evaluation outputs.

How does this interact with the ethylene-oxide (ETO) 0.1 mg/kg limit?

The EU applies a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.1 mg/kg to ethylene oxide in all food additives, expressed as the sum of ETO and its hydrolysis product 2-chloroethanol, calculated as ETO. This limit is independent of Reg. 2026/196 but operates alongside it: an E412 batch must simultaneously satisfy the updated 2026/196 purity/microbiology numbers and the 0.1 mg/kg ETO LOQ. In practice this means EU importers should insist on COAs that explicitly report ETO / 2-chloroethanol results per batch.

What should EU and UK importers check before buying guar gum in 2026?

Batch-specific COA covering ETO / 2-chloroethanol at the 0.1 mg/kg LOQ, heavy metals and microbiological parameters aligned with 2026/196;
Non-ETO / ETO-free declaration on supplier letterhead;
ISO 9001:2015 (and ideally ISO 22000 / FSSC 22000) quality system certification of the actual manufacturer, not just a trader;
Traceability back to the guar split lot and processing site, and a documented steam / heat-based conditioning process (no ETO fumigation).

How B D Guar (HICOL®) supports compliant sourcing

B D Guar Pvt. Ltd. has been manufacturing guar gum from Kalol, Gujarat since 1983. Our facility is ISO 9001:2015 certified with an annual capacity of 12,000 MT, and we export HICOL® to 50+ countries. HICOL® is produced using steam / heat-based conditioning only — no ethylene-oxide treatment — and every batch ships with a Certificate of Analysis covering ETO / 2-chloroethanol at the EU 0.1 mg/kg LOQ, heavy metals and microbiological parameters aligned with Reg. (EU) 2026/196.

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