INS 410 is locust bean gum, also called carob gum, made by grinding the seeds of the carob tree. On Indian packs it shows up most often in ice cream and soft-serve, where it stops ice crystals from growing during freeze-thaw cycles. It works especially well when paired with INS 412 guar gum or INS 415 xanthan gum. It is generally vegan and is permitted by FSSAI for specified food categories.
INS 410 is locust bean gum, also called carob gum, made by grinding the seeds of the carob tree. On Indian packs it shows up most often in ice cream and soft-serve, where it stops ice crystals from growing during freeze-thaw cycles. It works especially well when paired with INS 412 guar gum or INS 415 xanthan gum.
Brands use it because locust bean gum thickens dairy products, holds water in ice cream so the texture stays smooth in the freezer, and synergises with other gums to gel at lower combined doses than either gum alone. It is one of the oldest thickeners in commercial use.
INS 410 commonly shows up on Indian packets in these categories:
Locust bean gum is extracted from the seeds of the carob tree, a plant. No animal product is used in its manufacture. Despite the name 'locust bean', it has nothing to do with locusts (the insects); 'locust' here is from the older English word for the carob pod's resemblance to a locust insect's shape.
FSSAI: Permitted by FSSAI under Schedule I of the FSS (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011 as a thickener and stabiliser for specified food categories with category-specific limits, including infant-formula applications subject to additional FSSAI conditions.
JECFA: ADI 'not specified' for carob bean gum, established at 25th JECFA (1981). 'Not specified' is JECFA's safest classification at typical use levels.
On packets, in recipes, and in conversation, INS 410 is also called:
Last verified: 2026-04-30.