Food

• United States TSCA
• Canada NDSL
• Korea ECL
• Australia AICS
• Europe EINECS

Gel (synergy) with Carrageenan or Xanthan Gum

Cassia gum forms firm, thermoplastic gels with carrageenan. As the level of cassia gum is increased, the gel strength of carrageenan solutions is also increase. Cassia gum and carrageenan gel is stable due to the excellent retorting stability of cassia gum.

Cassia gum and xanthan gum, on their own, do not have the ability to form gels. But cassia gum combined with xanthan gum, aqueous dispersions of cassia gum form cohesive, elastic gels. As with carrageenan, cassia is more efficient at forming gels with xanthan gum than other galactomannans, enabling lower total hydrocolloid levels in finished formulations. This is due to the unique branched polysaccharide galactose/mannose structure of cassia gum.

Cassia gum is manufactured from the endosperm of Senna obtusifolia or Cassia obtusifolia or Cassia Tora or Cassia Occidentalis). It is mainly used as a thickener and gelling agent in foods and pet foods. Cassia grows mainly in subtropical regions and is grows mostly wild and occasionally cultivated.

Cassia Gum is comprised of at least 75% polysaccharide consisting primarily of a linear backbone chain of mannose with side galactose units The ratio of Mannose : Galactose is about 5: 1.

Cassia gum, like LBG can form gels with other colloids like Carrageenan and Xanthan and is therefore used in the manufacture of gels in the food and pet food applications in combination of other colloids.

Method of Manufacturing Cassia Gum Powder:

The seeds are dehusked and de-germed by milling and screening of the endosperm.
Cassia Gum is high molecular weight (approximately 200,000 – 300,000) polysaccharides composed of galactomannans; the mannose:galactose ratio is about 5:1. Semi-refined Cassia gum normally containing detectable amounts of anthraquinones.
The raw material seed is subject to different mechanical cleaning steps in order to remove other impurities, such as, farm waste, undeveloped seeds and stones.
After cleaning raw material is subject to a de-husking and splitting process.
Thermal and mechanical treatment removing husk and germ from the seeds resulting in splits. Finally the splits are ground to a uniform small particle size powder.

Chemical Structure and Physical Properties of Cassia Gum

Cassia Gum Powder Number

Gelling properties of refined cassia gum powder:

Refined Cassia gum is a high number of galactose side chains prohibit the synergistic gelling effect with anionic polymers. As a result, a smaller amount of hydrocolloid blend containing cassia gum is needed in a food product to achieve the same effect as with carrageenan alone or blends of carrageenan with other related galactomannans.

Cassia Gum is mainly used as a: