What is gum?

The gum you find in the ingredient list of almost all canned cat food is an all-natural fiber that has various benefits for your cat’s wellbeing. It improves digestive health and promotes the growth of good bacteria in your cat’s gut. These good bacteria decrease inflammation and increase immunity, even in other parts of the body. In addition, gum protects the lining of your cat’s gastrointestinal tract. The most common types of gum used in cat food are locust bean gum, xanthan gum, and guar gum.

Why is gum added to cat food?

While gum is good for your cat, this ingredient is mainly added for more practical reasons. Gum functions as a natural stabilizer and thickener that helps to prevent separation in wet pet food during the production process as well as inside the individual food cans or cartons. While Catit cat food is made in small batches, the kettles the food is prepared in are still rather large. To prevent the heavier ingredients from sinking to the bottom, gum is added. Otherwise, some food cans would be filled mainly with meat, while others would mainly contain vegetables and sauce. Gum also prevents the ingredients inside each individual can from doing the same thing, eliminating the need for you to stir the contents of the can before use.