Everything you need to know about cassia gum and its many applications

Cassia gum powder is the flour derived from the seeds of cassia obtusifolia, otherwise known as Cassia tora. The flour consists of (+-) 75% polysaccharide which is primarily galactomannan and entails a mannose: galactose ratio of 5:1.

The majority of the world has approved cassia gum as a food additive

The first country to approve cassia gum as a safe food additive was Japan. The nation approved cassia gum back in 1995. The decision came from the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The United States is yet to approve cassia gum as a safe food additive.

The European Union, back in 2010, approved cassia gum thus marking the naturally obtained food additive safe for human (and animal) consumption.

Detailed applications of cassia gum

The detailed applications of cassia gum are as follows –

Industrial uses

Several industrial sectors around the world use cassia gum as a thickening agent. The additive also works well as an emulsifier, foam stabilizer and an efficient moisture retention agent.

Uses in the cosmetic product manufacturing industry

Cassia powder also finds extensive application in the cosmetic product manufacturing sector. This naturally sourced additive is used to produce functional cosmetic products that can treat a myriad of skin problems like –

  • Acne and
  • Eczema

Furthermore, cassia powder is also used as an additive in several hair care products that are promoted to boost hair growth and scalp health.

Uses in the alternate medicine

Cassia powder also finds a lot of use in the alternate medicine industry. For instance, cassia powder is used to treat –

  • Digestive illness
  • Respiratory illness and
  • Gynecological diseases.

Cassia powder has time and again been used as a form of an alternative solution by people to treat constipation as the natural additive helps in the regulation of bowel movements. Cassia powder also has antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties thus making it perfect for treating colic and ringworm. There are also alternate medicinal products out there that use cassia powder as the primary ingredient to help people maintain their blood sugar levels.

Uses in the pet food industry

In the pet food manufacturing industry, cassia gum is primarily used as a gelling agent. When added to pet food formulas, pastes and pellets, cassia gum helps the product to retain its intended texture and thickness, especially in wet canned pet food meant for cats and dogs.

Cassia gum powder manufacturers in India and the rest of the world also supply high quality cassia gum to industrial plants associated with the production of processed meat products and poultry products.

Uses in the dairy and processed frozen food industry

Cassia gum manufacturer in India also finds extensive applications as a natural preservative that helps keep dairy and processed frozen food products fit for consumption for a long time. Cassia gum is also used to produce cheese ice creams and sherbets.

Uses in the air freshener industry

Cassia gum is also used to produce gel-based air fresheners.

Conclusion

Cassia gum powder is a versatile additive that finds extensive applications across global industrial sectors. Furthermore, the naturally derived additive is found abundantly hence procurement is not a costly affair. Industrialists who want to cut down on input costs should consult with a reputed cassia gum supplier like Premcem Gums Pvt. Ltd. The company is an ISO 9001, FSSAI, HACCP, Kosher and Halal certified entity. Premcem Gums Pvt. Ltd. is also SEDEX audited and certified. To get in touch, please call +912221026196/21022769 or send an email to info@premcemgums.com.

Facts About Guar Gum

Quick facts about Guar Gum

Guar gum is an additive that has many applications across the industrial spectrum. This post in the following sections will shed light on some quick facts about guar gum.

  • Guar gum is the gel-forming organic fiber derived from the seeds of the guar plant.
  • Guar gum is odourless and is capable of quickly dissolving in water and turning into a highly viscous paste.
  • Guar gum is insoluble in all known organic solvents.
  • Absolute hydration is essential to get high-quality food grade guar gum There are several factors that influence the overall viscosity of guar gum gel. This is why one must make sure that the grade of guar powder being used as an additive for processed food products is high.
  • Guar gum is also known for its stabilizing as well as emulsifying properties.
  • Guar gum powder has time and again proved its capability to form strong hydrogen bonds.
  • Compared to other thickening agents, binders and plasticizers, fast hydrating guar gumis a cost-effective option.

Tips to choose the right guar gum supplier

To choose the right guar gum supplier, one should follow the tips mentioned below –

  • It is best to choose a food grade guar gum manufacturer in India that follows strict quality assurance protocols.
  • The supplier should have an in-house laboratory where in-depth and detailed tests on incoming raw materials as well as finished goods are carried out on a regular basis.
  • The manufacturing plants of the supplier should be decked out with the latest equipment.

Factors that affect the quality of guar gum

There are several factors that affect the quality of guar gum. It is best to choose a guar gum supplier by considering the following main aspects of their products in a bid to get the best-quality guar gum –

  • Particle size (mesh)
  • Moisture content
  • Viscosity
  • Microbiological parameters
  • Food or Technical application

For the best results, feel free to seek the product data-sheet from the supplier of various grades of Food Grade Guar Gum in a bid to ensure that the above-mentioned parameters and their respective values conform to your requirements.

Need high quality guar gum in bulk quantities and at affordable rates?

Contact Premcem Gums Pvt. Ltd.

The Mumbai-based company has been supplying high quality guar gum to its pan-India clientele since 1960. It has two production plants located in Ahmedabad as well as Gandhidham. Its annual capacity to produce guar gum is 23,000 MT. The company is also ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, FSSAI, HACCP, Halal and Kosher certified. The firm is also audited and certified by SEDEX. To learn more or to discuss your requirements, please call +91 2221026196/21022769 or send an email to info@premcemgums.com.

Guar Gum and its many applications across the industrial spectrum

Guar gum is one of the most commonly used, naturally occurring raw materials that find extensive applications across the industrial spectrum. This blog in the following sections will shine a light on some of the industrial sectors where guar gum is abundantly used.

Before that, it is time to learn what guar gum is.

Guar gum, otherwise known as guaran, falls under the category of a galactomannan polysaccharide. It is derived from guar beans.

With that stated, here are some of the most important applications of guar gum across the industrial spectrum.

Applications of guar gum across the processed food industry

Guar gum in India as well as in the rest of the world found its first industrial application in the form of a processed food additive. Adding guar gum to processed food items like ice cream, allows ice crystals to form quickly in ice cream mixes.

Guar gum is also used as an additive for the production of baked goods. Adding guar gum to baked goods increases their shelf life by many folds.

That is not all. Guar gum is also an indispensable raw material for industrial plants busy preparing all forms of –

  • Processed cheese
  • Soup mixes
  • Gravy mixes
  • Pet foods
  • Yoghurt as well as
  • Milk products.

Applications of guar gum across the oil extraction, drilling and mining industries

Guar gum manufacturers in India also supply their products to companies associated with the oil extraction, drilling and mining industries.

Guar gum powder is used as a corrosion inhibitor in oil handling and production plants. In recent years, a new formulation of guar gum is used as a means of reducing surface and interfacial tensions. It is also used in important procedures like enhanced oil recovery as guar gum can act as an effective additive that can efficiently fracture fluids.

Industrial plants also use guar gum as flocculants that helps the plants to increase the process of clumping when the plant managers are treating wastewater generated by their plant.

Guar gum is also an important additive in the mining sector. Guar gum aids acts as a catalyst in the flotation process – a widely used process where minerals are extracted from their ores.

Applications of guar gum in the paper industry

Producers and suppliers of guar gum powder in India also get orders from industrial plants associated with the production of paper. Adding guar gum powder to the pulp from which paper is made, leads to a superior quality paper that is perfect for printing purposes.

Applications of guar gum across the pharmaceutical industry

Guar gum is also used by pharmaceutical companies associated with the production of supplementary diet products and medicines. Guar gum is also used as a binding agent by pharmaceutical companies associated with the production of tablets.

Applications of guar gum across the textile and printing sector

Guar gum is added to thickeners – the technical term for colour enhancers. Guar gum-based thickeners add vitality to printed textiles such as polyester and related fabrics. Guar gum-based thickeners are also used to add colour or print textures on –

  • Cotton-based fabrics
  • Carpets
  • Acrylic blankets, etc.

Guar gum is also added to fire retardants

Fire retardant concentrate manufacturers in India also rely on a steady supply of guar gum when they want to produce fire retardant fluid concentrates. Adding guar gum to fire retardant concentrates of dry powder and water allows the end product to get more condensed, elastic and highly viscous. All of these attributes increase the flow of fire retardant solutions by many folds thus increasing their efficiency.

Guar gum is also used in the production of cosmetics

Guar gum is also extensively used in the production of gel-like cosmetic and personal care products like –

  • Creams
  • Shampoos
  • Lipsticks
  • Toothpaste, etc.

Looking for a reliable and certified guar gum supplier?

Contact Premcem Gums Pvt. Ltd.

The ISO 9001, HACCP, Kosher, Halal, FSSAI certified enterprise has been in the manufacturing and sales of guar gum since 1960. The Mumbai-headquartered enterprise is also Sedex audited and certified. For more details, please call +91 2221026196/21022769 or send an email to info@premcemgums.com.

Psyllium Seed – 2021 Crop Report

Based on information collected in the field, we believe that this year’s Psyllium crop is around 40-50% more than that of last year. However overall Psyllium Seed availability is going to be only around 20-25% more than last year. Please read on further for details.

  • Rajasthan is the leading producer of Psyllium Seed in India and the same is considered to be of very good quality. This year the crop in Rajasthan is expected to be around 40-50% more than that of last year at around 2.17 million bags
  • Madhya Pradesh ranks second in the production of Psyllium seed and the crop from Madhya Pradesh is expected to be 150-170% more than that of last year at around 400,000 bags
  • The state of Gujarat ranks third in the overall production of Psyllium seed in India and the crop from Gujarat this year is expected to be 100% more than last year at around 200,000 bags

The carry-forward stock also plays a very important role in the market. Unfortunately the carry-forward stock this year is expected to be only around 50,000 bags – a 90% decline from last year’s carry-forward stock of 600,000 bags.

Given in the table below is a snapshot of the crop arrivals from the last few years and the estimated arrivals for 2021.

Year2015201620172018201920202021
Rajasthan1,600,0001,200,0001,300,0001,750,0001,500,0001,450,0002,175,000
Madhya Pradesh400,000250,000200,000400,000200,000150,000400,000
Gujarat100,000100,000200,000150,00075,000100,000200,000
Carry-forward100,000350,000100,000300,000500,000600,00050,000
Total2,200,0001,900,0001,800,0002,600,0002,275,0002,300,0002,825,000
*All figures – Psyllium Seed bags – 75kg each

So as can be seen, the overall Psyllium Seed availability is going to be around 20-25% more than last year.

The demand for Psyllium Husk, and allied products, has been increasing over the last few years. Overall demand for Psyllium Husk products for the coming 12 months is expected to be the equivalent of 2,400,000 bags of Psyllium Seed. But as there is now sufficient supply to meet this anticipated demand, Psyllium Seed prices have declined by around 15% from last year’s peak.

At present Psyllium Husk manufacturers and agri-commodity traders are buyers in the market and so we do not expect any further significant decline in Psyllium Seed prices from these present levels.

We are Dun & Bradstreet DUNS Registered

Premcem Gums is Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S Registered.

A successful credit check and subsequent registration is used to establish a worldwide recognised legitimacy, ownership, creditworthiness, overall standing against industry standards and business viability.

More information on D-U-N-S can be found on Dun & Bradstreet India.

Indian SW Monsoon rainfall over Guar-growing Northwest India

As a sequel to Skymet’s pan-India forecast released on 3-Apr-19, we give below Skymet’s quantitative distribution of Indian SW Monsoon rainfall over the Guar-growing areas of Northwest India. This region-wise forecast comes with an error margin of +/- 8%.

Although the Southwest Monsoon 2019 is likely to make onset over Kerala on June 4, it seems that initial advancement of Monsoon over Peninsular India is going to be slow. For Guar-growing Northwest India, the region is expected to record normal rainfall to the tune of 96% of LPA. However the hilly states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are likely to perform better than the plains of Punjab, and the Guar-growing states of Rajasthan and Haryana.

Over the last one month, Guar splits prices have remained fairly stable. We believe that prices will continue to remain at current levels unless the Indian Meteorological Department’s second stage Indian SW Monsoon-2019 Forecast, which will be released during the first week of Jun-19, has some negative implications for the Guar-growing areas of India.

 

 

IMD’s 2019 Southwest Monsoon Update & Impact on Guar Market

Yesterday the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) released its first Long Range Forecast of the 2019 Southwest Monsoon. The summary is as under:

a) Southwest monsoon seasonal (June to September) rainfall over the country as a whole is likely to be near normal

b) Quantitatively, the monsoon seasonal (June to September) rainfall is likely to be 96% of the Long Period Average (LPA) with a model error of ± 5%. The LPA of the season rainfall over the country as a whole for the period 1951-2000 is 89 cm

c) Weak El Niño conditions are likely to prevail during the monsoon season with reduced intensity in the later part of the season.

The sea surface temperature (SST) conditions over the Pacific (El Niño/La Niña) and Indian Oceans (Indian Ocean Dipole-IOD) which are known to have strong influence on Indian monsoon are being continuously monitored. Overall, the country is expected to have well distributed rainfall scenario during the 2019 monsoon season, which will be beneficial to farmers in the country during the ensuing kharif season

IMD will issue the second stage Monsoon-2019 Forecast during the first week of Jun-19.

As IMD expects monsoons to be near-normal, Guar Seed/Splits prices have declined today and so it is a good opportunity to cover any Guar Gum requirements that you may have for the next couple of months.

The complete IMD forecast can be found HERE

 

Indian Southwest Monsoon 2019 Update

As is well known, the Indian Southwest Monsoon plays a very important role in the development of the annual Guar crop here in India. It is therefore important to closely monitor the onset and progress of the monsoon and to that end we give below details of the first forecast for the Indian SW Monsoon of 2019.

Skymet, a weather forecasting and agriculture risk solutions company from the Indian private sector, released yesterday its Monsoon forecast for 2019. It expects the upcoming Monsoon to be ‘below normal’ to the tune of 93% (with an error margin of +/-4%) of the long period average (LPA) of 887 mm for the four-month period from June to September. In terms of geographical risk, Skymet expects that East India along with major portion of Central India is likely to be at a higher risk of being rain deficient, especially during the first half of the season. The onset month of June is going to have a very sluggish start and deficit rains are likely to spill into July. Second half of the season would see better rainfall wherein August is expected to be a shade better than September, but both the months would manage to see normal rains.

According to Skymet, Monsoon probabilities for Jun-Jul-Aug-Sep are:

  • 0% chance of excess rainfall
  • 0% chance of above normal rainfall
  • 30% chance of normal rainfall
  • 55% chance of below normal rainfall
  • 15% chance of drought

Premcem’s inference about the impact on the Guar Crop for 2019:

  • Firstly the geographical areas mentioned above, East India and Central India, where Skymet expects a higher risk of deficient rains, are not Guar growing areas
  • Secondly, although the onset on the monsoon is going to be sluggish and deficient, it is expected that the second half of the season, August and September, would see normal rains. And as Guar is usually planted later in the season, we feel that the adverse conditions in the first half of the season will not have an adverse impact on the Guar crop
  • Lastly, if the onset and progress of the monsoon, in the areas that grow Guar and some other competing crops, is significantly delayed, this might be to Guar’s advantage as it has a short crop cycle and so farmers would prefer to sow Guar as opposed to other crops.

So in a nutshell, there is no cause for major worry and customers can look to cover their requirements for the next couple of months at this stage. The next important forecast to watch out for would be the one from the Indian Meteorological Department.

To download Skyment’s Monsoon 2019 Forecast PPT, click HERE

Guar Crop v/s Demand

As of now the Guar Crop is estimated to be around 7 million bags which translates to 700,000 MT (Metric Tons) of Guar Seed or around 196,000 MT of Guar Splits. If it rains in western Rajasthan (Barmer and Jaisalmer areas) in the next fortnight, the crop figure can easily go up to 8 or 8.5 million bags.

From APEDA the export statistics for Guar Gum + Guar Splits are as under:

Apr17 – Mar18: 366,664 MT
Apr18 – Jun18: 97,411 MT

So it is apparent that if the average monthly export of Guar Gum + Guar Splits continues at the rate of around 30,000 MT/month (based on the above mentioned data), then the upcoming crop is going to fall short of demand. There is definitely a “carryover” from previous years and this will make up say around 50% of the shortfall, but overall it is still looking like a case where demand is definitely going to be more than supply.

Hence it is quite possible that prices may go up significantly from current levels once the peak arrivals of Oct-Nov-Dec are over.

Rajasthan Guar Crop 2018 Update

Given in the table below are the latest Guar sowing figures for Rajasthan – as on 7-Aug-18.

As can be seen, the area covered for Guar is 2806K hectares against a target of 3500K hectares. The overall coverage might increase if the important Guar growing areas of Western Rajasthan receive rains in the next 7 to 10 days.

The Govt. Of India recently announced higher MSP (minimum support price) for a range of crops, including some that compete against Guar). There is no MSP for Guar and as a result Guar has lost out to some other crops this season. And although it is still early to talk about the Guar crop figures for 2018, we believe that the number is likely to be lower than, or at the most similar to, that of last year