Tara (Caesalpinia spinosa) and GRAS status

There are three legal pathways for ingredients to be used in food: generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status, a prior sanction, or an FDA food (or color) additive approval. Tara protein powder milled from the germ of the tara seeds does not follow any of these. Hence as an unapproved food additive, any food containing tara protein powder is deemed adulterated as a matter of law. Tara gum is also not approved for use as flour, and if the “tara flour” contains ground tara seed or ground other parts of the tara plant, the flour is an unapproved food additive. One use of tara (Caesalpinia spinosa) gum appears to be GRAS, the use of purified tara gum as a thickener, stabilizer, emulsifier, or gelling agent in foods in small amounts of the final food.