Cassia gum, derived from the seeds of the Cassia obtusifolia and Cassia tora plants, is a prominent food additive in India and globally. Known for its high viscosity and gelling properties, this natural polymer is a staple in various industries, thanks to its mannose and galactose contents.
The process of making Cassia gum begins with the meticulous selection of seeds. The seeds, often contaminated with C. occidentalis, undergo a stringent cleaning process. This involves grading by size and removing underdeveloped seeds to ensure a contamination level of less than 0.05%. Once graded, the seeds are dehusked and de-germed through thermal mechanical treatments, which prepares them for milling and screening to obtain the pure endosperm. This endosperm is then purified further using isopropanol extraction, producing the high-quality Cassia gum used in numerous applications.