The Wild Ride of Guar Gum, Everyone's Favorite Starch

The Wild Ride of Guar Gum, Everyone's Favorite Starch — Data: Spears and Associates, Calvin Trostle, and Bloomberg; Photos: Alamy(5); Getty Images(3)

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Take our Survey

By Ritchie S. King

July 20, 2012 at 3:40 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

BusinessWeek Cover Image (12_30, portrait_2x)

This article is part of the July 23, 2012 issue of businessweek.

The domestic natural gas boom has sent prices for guar gum, used in everything from fracking fluid to ice cream to cat food, soaring.