Carob
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersMarratxi, Spain
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
Carob firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Carob
- Legal name
- CAROB S.A.
- Website
- https://carob.es
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Carob industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Food Ingredients
- NAICS
- Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Guar, Locust Bean & Tara (Seed Gums) (AFAJABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Plant Gums (Guar, Locust Bean/Carob, Tara) (AFAJAMAB), Hydrocolloids, Thickeners & Gelling Agents (Pectin, Xanthan, Carrageenan, Gelatin) (CRADAOAD)
Keywords
Where Carob is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marratxi
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Carob business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Locust Bean Gum Product Sales: Manufacturing and distribution of PALGUM® locust bean gum (LBG) in various grades and packaging sizes (75g, 200g) to food industry manufacturers and end consumers. Revenue generated from product sales with distribution worldwide.
- Food Industry Ingredients: B2B sales of locust bean gum as a food stabilizer, thickener, and gelling agent to manufacturers in confectionery, ice cream, cheese, meat products, jams, sauces, baby food, and pet food industries. Products sold under PALGUM® brand with different viscosity and whiteness grades.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retail packaging - 75g and 200g bottles |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Carob product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Carob S.A. manufactures and distributes locust bean gum (LBG) and tara gum under the PALGUM® brand, derived from carob seeds harvested from its own plantations in Mallorca, Spain. The company produces multiple grades — standard, premium, organic, and a pet food grade (PF-1000) — for use as thickening, gelling, and stabilizing agents by food industry manufacturers worldwide.
Product overview
CAROB S.A. is a manufacturer and distributor of Locust Bean Gum (LBG), founded in 1976 on the island of Mallorca, Spain. The company's core product is the PALGUM® brand of locust bean gum, available in various grades and packaging sizes (75g, 200g) for retail and industrial use. PALGUM® is a 100% natural food stabilizer derived from carob seeds, used across multiple food applications including confectionery, ice creams, dairy products, meats, and sauces. The company also offers organic-certified variants and a pet food-specific grade (PF-1000).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PALGUM® Locust Bean Gum Carob seed-derived galactomannan hydrocolloid sold to food manufacturers as a natural thickener, stabilizer, and gelling agent for dairy products, ice cream, sauces, meat products, and other processed food applications. Available in multiple viscosity and whiteness grades and in 25 kg, 500 kg, and 1,000 kg packaging.
Quantifiable outcome
- Prevents ice crystal formation in ice cream and provides thermal shock resistance
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Carob
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Carob technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Carob partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Endesa XcoreEndesa X designed and built a photovoltaic solar plant for CAROB at the Marratxí industrial estate. The 250 kWp self-consumption solar installation was inaugurated in August 2024, representing CAROB's commitment to decarbonization and energy self-sufficiency. The project was inaugurated by the Minister of Enterprise, Employment and Energy of the Balearic Islands.
- BiokalmaminorCollaboration to sell CAROB's locust bean gum products in Biokalma's sustainable and ecological stores across Mallorca. The partnership was announced during Biokalma's first anniversary celebrations.
- Empresas Innovadoras de la Garrofa (EIG)coreCAROB is a member company of EIG, an association of innovative carob companies. Through this partnership, CAROB participates in technical conferences, contributes to industry research on carob cultivation and applications, and collaborates on promoting the carob industry. Julia San Segundo, CAROB's quality department head, presented on locust bean gum perspectives and applications at the IX Technical Conference in Ibiza.
- EndesacoreEndesa (parent company of Endesa X) participated in the inauguration of the new solar panel plant in August 2024. General Director of Endesa in the Balearic Islands, Martí Ribas, attended the ceremony.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Carob competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances): Global ingredient and biosciences company (formed via the DuPont N&B merger) with a broad portfolio of food texturizers, cultures, and hydrocolloids including LBG offerings. Competes with Carob across multiple food application categories.
- Kerry Group: Irish global taste and nutrition company with a significant food texturizer and functional ingredient portfolio serving the same B2B food manufacturer customers as Carob, particularly in dairy, meat, and prepared foods.
- Tate & Lyle: UK-headquartered specialty food ingredient company with a portfolio of texturizers, stabilizers, and sweeteners serving food and beverage manufacturers. Competes in adjacent hydrocolloid and clean-label ingredient spaces relevant to Carob's customer base.
- Cargill: Global agricultural commodity and food ingredient giant with a broad hydrocolloid and texturizer portfolio including LBG offerings. Competes with Carob indirectly through its scale, multi-ingredient bundling, and global customer relationships across the same food manufacturers.
- ADM: One of the world's largest agricultural processors and food ingredient suppliers with a wide portfolio of hydrocolloids, flavors, and texturizers. Overlaps with Carob in food stabilizer and thickener categories but operates at far greater scale and breadth.
Direct peers
- Altrafine Ingredients: India-based manufacturer of guar gum and locust bean gum for food and industrial applications. Competes with Carob in the global seed gum market, particularly in price-sensitive segments where Asian production has cost advantages.
- Polygal AG: Swiss-based manufacturer specializing in locust bean gum and carob-derived hydrocolloids for food and industrial applications. Closely comparable as a niche, single-category LBG producer competing for the same European food manufacturer accounts as Carob.
- CP Kelco: One of the world's largest producers of locust bean gum alongside other hydrocolloids (xanthan, gellan, carrageenan, pectin). Directly competes with Carob in the B2B food ingredient market for LBG, offering the same core functionality with a much broader portfolio and global reach.
- Ingredion: Global specialty ingredient company whose hydrocolloid portfolio (including the TIC Gums acquisition) directly overlaps with Carob's food texturizer and stabilizer offerings, including locust bean gum and complementary gums used in the same end applications.
- Euroduna Food Ingredients: German-headquartered manufacturer of locust bean gum and other plant-based hydrocolloids for the food industry. Directly comparable as a European specialty LBG supplier serving similar B2B customers and applications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Carob social profiles
Digital presenceCarob compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Carob financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Carob leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Carob funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Carob M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Carob
What does Carob do?
Carob S.A. manufactures and distributes locust bean gum (LBG) and tara gum under the PALGUM® brand, derived from carob seeds harvested from its own plantations in Mallorca, Spain. The company produces multiple grades — standard, premium, organic, and a pet food grade (PF-1000) — for use as thickening, gelling, and stabilizing agents by food industry manufacturers worldwide.
Is Carob a public or private company?
Carob is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Carob founded?
Carob was founded in 1976. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Carob based?
Carob is headquartered in Marratxi, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Carob make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Locust Bean Gum Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are food Industry Ingredients.
Who are Carob's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are IFF (International Flavors & Fragrances), Kerry Group, Tate & Lyle, Cargill and ADM. Direct peers are Altrafine Ingredients, Polygal AG, CP Kelco, Ingredion and Euroduna Food Ingredients.
Does Carob have an API?
No public API is recorded for Carob.
What industry is Carob in?
Carob's product category is Food Ingredients. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAJABAG, Guar, Locust Bean & Tara (Seed Gums), with a secondary code of AFAJAMAB, Plant Gums (Guar, Locust Bean/Carob, Tara). Its NAICS code is 31122 and its SIC code is 2000.