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Gelling Agent Cassia gum used in pet food industry as a gelling agent and is approved for use in Europe by the Commission Directive (EEC No. E 499) and is listed in the Annex of the Council Directive (70/524/EEC) as a stabilizer, thickening and gelling agent in the manufacture of canned pet foods for cats and dogs. A panel of experts in the areas of toxicology, pharmacology and food science was assembled to review the safety of cassia gum as a thickening agent in pet foods in the United States. The available data on cassia gum and structurally related gums demonstrate a lack of toxic effects in animals. This review is the basis for the consideration of cassia gum as generally recognized as safe under conditions of its intended use as a thickening agent in pet foods. Cassia gum or semi-refined cassia gum has been used since the early 1990s as a thickening and gelling agent in pet foods and canned meat for cats and canned meat for dogs.
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