What is carrageenan?
Lots of foods can contain some pretty weird-sounding stuff. That’s because processed foods have some amazing things they have to do. For example, a cookie might get made in Texas, trucked across the country in the middle of the summer, sit in a warehouse for a couple of weeks before it is sold and then ride home in the trunk of your car. And when you open the package, you expect the cookie to look perfect. Not an easy thing to accomplish, it turns out. That’s why many foods contain chemicals known as gums. Two gums that are pretty familiar are gelatin and corn starch. If you look at processed food, you see all sorts of other gums like carrageenan, xanthan gum, cellulose gum, locust bean gum, agar, and so on. Food scientists (not cooks — food scientists make processed foods) use these substances for four main reasons: • They thicken things:
Carrageenan comes from algae or seaweed, and can be used as a thickening agent in place of animal-based products like gelatin, which is extracted from animal bones. It is usually derived from either red alga, sometimes called Irish moss. Carrageenan is a common ingredient in many foods, such as milk products like yogurt or chocolate milk. One can make one’s own carrageenan by boiling down Irish moss for about 20 to 30 minutes. When the mixture cools, and the moss is removed, one is left with a gelled substance. Since many recipes call for a thickening agent, many vegetarians use carrageenan in place of products like gelatin, since it is 100% vegetarian. One can often purchase powdered carrageenan at natural food stores. It may be used in the preparation of certain wines and beers. Also many sliced deli meats are enriched with carrageenan. Carrageenan may also be marketed in its jelled form as a personal lubricant. Companies like Tom’s of Maine® use carrageenan in a variety of products
Carrageenan is a natural extract from red seaweeds used in processed foods for stabilization, thickening, and gelation. Carrageenan has been successfully used by the food industry in the US since the 1950s, and with increasing demand driven by the consumers’ need for convenience, appealing food textures, advances in food processing, and new food products. It is used worldwide to enhance ice creams, chocolate milk, custards, cheeses, jellies, confections, meats, and protein drinks. Carrageenan is an approved food additive. Carrageenan is a natural extract from specific red seaweed species such as Kappaphycus alverezii (kappa carrageenan), Eucheuma denticulatum (iota carrageenan), Chondrus crispus (kappa & lambda carrageenans), and Sarcothalia crispata (kappa & lambda carrageenans). Pictured above is Eucheuma denticulatum.
What is carrageenan? Lots of foods can contain some pretty weird-sounding stuff. That’s because processed foods have some amazing things they have to do. For example, a cookie might get made in Texas, trucked across the country in the middle of the summer, sit in a warehouse for a couple of weeks before it is sold and then ride home in the trunk of your car. And when you open the package, you expect the cookie to look perfect. Not an easy thing to accomplish, it turns out. That’s why many foods contain chemicals known as gums. Two gums that are pretty familiar are gelatin and corn starch. If you look at processed food, you see all sorts of other gums like carrageenan, xanthan gum, cellulose gum, locust bean gum, agar, and so on. Food scientists (not cooks — food scientists make processed foods) use these substances for four main reasons: • They thicken things: <
