Increasing Demand of Cassia Gum Powder in Global Market

The cassia obtusifolia or the cassia tora plant is in the Caesalpinaceae plant family and occurs mostly in the Indian sub continent, Nepal, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Bhutan. It is an accepted food additive produced through grinding the seeds to give the cassia gum powder.  Currently, India is the largest manufacturer of the cassia gum powder. The demand for the cassia gum powder is due to its usage in the food and beverage industry from manufacturers around the world and also the increasing usage in the food and feed industry.

Cassia Gum Market Opportunities

Earlier on, there was a restricted global market for the cassia gum powder as most nations had not accepted its usage due to certain hygienic factors, or forced limits on its usage. This trend has however completely changed recently and the powder has been approved for use in countries such as the United States of America, Canada, Korea, Australia and Europe. This product has been approved for various applications in these countries. The emergence of the cassia gum powder as a good alternative to the guar gum has also been a key driver of its demand, since the guar has been seen as more expensive than the cassia gum.

Regional Market Segmentation

Seven major regions have been identified as the main drivers of the demand for the cassia powder. These include the North America, Western Europe, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan, Japan, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Middle East nations and Africa.  In all these areas, North America has been observed to be the greatest consumer holding approximately 30% of the market share and closely followed by Western Europe countries.

Demand in the United States

The United States has already recognised cassia gum for usage as a thickening agent in human foods as well as pet foods. The powder has also been approved for usage in canned meats for pets which has opened up a huge demand for the product in America.

Demand levels in North America

The estimated demand for the cassia powder in this region stands at 36% of the global demand. The demand here is driven by the various uses in several industries but mainly attributed to increased oil and petroleum mining in the region. The increased oil rig count in this region is creating an unprecedented demand pull for the thickeners due to usage in large quantities.   In addition, the food processing industries, pet food making, cosmetics, paper and textile manufacturing have also contributed to the demand.

Demand in Europe

In Europe, the cassia powder is listed in the commission directives as a stabilizer (thickener) in the production of canned pet foods. It has also been found effective in the area of petroleum mining in these areas and mainly from Germany.

Japan

It is approved for usage as a food additive by the ministry of health and welfare. Similar to other regions, the main applications are related to the properties of the gum as a thickening and gelling agent that is affordable and readily available to the processors in these regions.