Re: Gum consistency and preservatives.

Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Thu, 19 Jun 1997 01:08:00 -0400 (EDT)

On Wed, 18 Jun 1997, Art Chakalis wrote:
> When living things break down their food for use it is done by enzymes,
> Fortunately, enzymes can be deactivated or destroyed at modest
> temperatures. However, if left alone they will do their god intended
> function and break down organic matter, ie gum and gelatin. Gums are
> collected by people off of trees and in the process you get a lot of
> things free.
>

Art, I'm not doubting anything about the pasteurization and the enzymes
and the bacteria and the god-intended function of same. What I'm puzzling
over is why, when no gum printer in the history of gum printing has *so
far as I know* pasteurized his or her gum, one should do so now. Are you
saying that if the gum isn't pasteurized and is kept for an appreciable
length of time it will change?

My "slow" gum that's nearly used up is 20 years old. But it's a
commercial lithographer's gum, may have been cooked by them. In any
event, I've never noticed a change, though it may have been glacial.

Judy