Locust bean gum, also called carob gum or E410, is a galactomannan vegetable gum derived from the seeds of the carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua, native to the Mediterranean region, where Portugal, Italy, Spain and Morocco together accounted for roughly three quarters of world production in 2016. It is used as a thickening and gelling agent in food technology, appearing as a white to yellowish powder that disperses in hot or cold water to form solutions with a pH between about 5.4 and 7.0, and it can form a gel when a small amount of sodium borate is added. Beyond food, it is also used in pet food, cosmetics, textiles, paper manufacturing, shoe polish and insecticides.
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