Open a pouch of premium wet cat food or peel back the lid of a can of high-quality dog food and you will see it: firm, clear jelly surrounding chunks of meat, or a smooth, cohesive gravy that clings to every piece. These textures are not accidental. They are the result of carefully engineered stabilizer systems – and cassia gum is one of the most important ingredients making them possible.

The global food ingredients market has been watching the locust bean gum (LBG) supply chain with increasing concern. Carob trees — the source of LBG — grow almost exclusively in Mediterranean countries including Spain, Italy, Portugal, Morocco, and Greece. A combination of climate variability, an ageing tree population that takes 15 to 20 years to reach full productivity, and competing demand from the food and feed industries has created recurring supply shortages and significant price volatility.