Cassia gum is a food additive made from the endosperm of Senna obtusifolia (also called Cassia obtusifolia or Cassia tora). It is used as a thickener and gelling agent, and has E-number E427.
In June 2008, specialty firm Lubrizol Advanced Material filed a petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposing that food regulations be amended to provide for the safe use of cassia gum as a stabilizer in frozen dairy desserts.
Cassia gum is currently (mid-2009) being used mainly in pet food applications. There is, however, a strong push to obtain human food approval in the US and EU. Approval has already been obtained in France, Belgium and Austria for human food applications. Full EU approval is expected by the end of 2009. Approval in the US is still pending, with no clear indication of when it may be obtained.