Some say U.S. sanctions on Sudan weak

Quote: Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington DC last week, ambassador John Ukec is reported to have claimed that 80 per cent of the world's gum arabic comes from Sudan. "I can stop that gum arabic and all of us will have lost this," he said. Gum arabic comes from the sap of the acacia tree and is used by the food and drinks industry as an ingredient to prevent sugar crystallization and the emulsification of fat. In particular, it is used in soft drinks to increase the fizziness. However any fears that the food industry will become tangled up in politics, as consumers grapple with conscience and a love of soft drinks, have been downplayed. According to ABC News, the US imported only 12 per cent of its gum arabic from Sudan ($6.2m), 54 per cent less than the previous year. Thirty-eight per cent hailed from Chad. Given reports of gum Arabic supply from Sudan being disrupted by the war since 2004, major companies will already have cast about for alternative supplies to avoid being caught short. Coca-Cola has said it does not source its gum arabic from Sudan.