Gum benzoic (Gum benzoic, dewy incense, E906) is a resin that hardens quickly in the air, obtained by cutting the trunk and branches of the styrax tree (Styrax benzoin) of the styrax family, which grows wild and is bred in Southeast Asia and on the islands of the Malay archipelago. It has a pleasant smell due to the presence of vanillin, cinnamon and (in some varieties) benzoic acids, when smoked at the end, it gives several notes that irritate the respiratory tract. It is used in the perfume industry.
Currently, it is used in its pure form as incense smoking in India among the Sufis of Hyderabad for fumigating religious premises. In Europe, it is part of the multicomponent incense used during Catholic worship.
The additive was excluded from the list of “Food additives for food production” to the Sanitary and Epidemiological Rules and Regulations (SanPiN 2.3.2.2364-08) in 2008.