Locust Bean Gum

L.B.G. is a specially thickener and suspending agent with exceptional stability and compatibility with xanthan like ingredient. Because the L.B.G. is a totally natural and bios product, while xanthan CMC, gellan gum and genugel are microbial polysaccharides. Furthermore Locust Bean Gum is produce from Carob pods without any chemical treatment, while xanthan and others thickener are produce by the microorganism. X compestris, originally isolated from the rutabaga plant. There for the L.B.G. product is superior than any microbial gum produce by microorganism X compestris fermentation system. There are no side effect or no any health problem of L.B.G. in food use.

L.B.G. is one of the oldest gums in business world. The modern commercial history of L.B.G. begins during the 1960'S when the related galactomannan guar gum powder of good quality become available in large quantities to the international market the dramatically lower price of guar and its cold water solubility (L.B.G. hydration requires 90°C) eliminated many market of L.B.G. Locust Bean Gum continued to be prized for the special flow properties it imparts to solutions its enhancement of freeze-thaw stability, and above all, its superb synergies with other gums, notable carrageenan and xanthan, in the use the most important application are in ice-cream, cream cheese and blends with xanthan, carrageenan or guar.

L.B.G.:- Is a white powder, tasteless and odorless hydrophilic and chemically inactive.It has an ampholytic character and gives high viscous solution due to these properties L.B.G.

Is used in the following Industries:

• Ice-cream. When L.B.G. is used, ice-cream products have a spongeous consistency and become smoother and more elastic also L.B.G. increases overrun.
• Cheese and tube-cheese to prevent syneresis. The addition of 0.5-0.75 L.B.G. to cheese of high water content gives excellent results.
• Salads salad dressing, mustards, dietary foods, bottled sauces, liquid and / or dried soups and juices, mayonnaise, sour milk, desserts, cream cheese, processed cheese, fish products, canned fruit and vegetables, pickled fruit and vegetable, ketchup, aromatic sauces, marmalades, juice, soft drinks, baby food and pastry.
• Meat (sausages etc.) as a binder and lubricant. Due to its hydrophilic properties it withholds water while preventing evaporation thus helping products to maintain a constant appearance without any loss of weights.
• Jellies, in combination with pectin's, thus enhancing the action of the pectin and giving higher elasticity and stability.
• Confectionary, as a binder.
• Pet food Industries and excellent syneresis and gel strength when combined with carrageenan.
• Pharmaceutical Industries and cosmetics, as a thickening and stabilizing agent in various solution and dispersions. It is also used in the production of tablets as a binder and disintegrator. It prevents the crystallization of diluted solid substances.

Locust Bean Gum is the off whitish powder obtained from grinding the endosperm of the seeds of ceratonia siliqua. It consists mainly of galactomannan-type polysaccharides, with a galactomannose ration of about 1:4 unlike guar gum (produced from cyamopsis tetragonoloba), locust bean is only partially soluble in cold water, but it has better water retention characteristics than guar. Solution of locust bean gum have relatively high viscosity at low concentration. Dispersions of gum do not gel, well unless it is in combination with other gums. Its strong synergistic action in the presence of other gums contributes to it having wide applications where good stabilizing, thickening and emulsifying properties are required.

Its use as a food additive is the most important outlet for locust bean gum. In European community legislation it has an "E" number of E410. It is employed in a wide range of products, among the most important of which are ice cream, baby foods and pet foods. In this applications its texturizing properties are of great value and hard to replicate using other gums, in ice-cream the gum slows the rate of meltdown and improves its storage properties.

Locust bean gum is an important constituent of many soups, where its property of fully dissolving and thickening only at high temperature is critical. In sausage products such as salami and bologna it acts as a binder and lubricant. Other food uses include the manufacture of soft cheese, bakery products, pie filling, powdered desserts, sauces and salad cream, and dairy products other than ice-cream.