Gum karaya (GK), accepted as Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) in the USA since 1961, was accepted temporarily (Annex II) as a food additive by the EEC in 1974. Since then no adverse incident involving human health has been attributed to the ingestion of GK, which is used in extremely small amounts in foods. This report collates the evidence of safety now available and presents the data on Need, production tonnages and dietary intake levels.