Many commercially sold food products use gelling agents to improve viscosity or mouth-feel. Seeking examples, I cruised my fridge and found xanthan gum in salad dressing, barbecue sauce and frozen lasagna and locust bean gum in a stir-fry sauce. Guar gum is another frequently used food additive. Here's an article describing the uses and safety of these products, if you want to know more. For the most part, these additives are soluble carbohydrates that can be mixed with water to form a tasteless thick, viscous edible substance.
Food scientists have begun to evaluate chia seed carbohydrate as a gelling agent in food products. Here is a peer-reviewed article that tests these 5 properties: water‐holding capacity, oil‐holding capacity, viscosity, emulsion activity, and freeze–thaw stability. The authors conclude that "chia seed gel has potential application in food formulation as a thickening agent, emulsifying agent, and as a stabilizer in frozen food product."
Source: Coorey R, Tjoe A, Jayasena V. Gelling Properties of Chia Seed and Flour. Journal Of Food Science. 2014. (Press release.)