Carrageenan - Is It Bad for You?

Carrageenan & It’s Safety

Carrageenan has been the center of debate for many in the culinary industry. Is it bad for you? Is it safe? We’re here to end the debate and give you all of the facts surrounding this controversial ingredient. 

Carrageenan is extracted from red seaweed, otherwise commonly known as Irish Moss. This edible plant is native to the British Isles and has been used in traditional cooking for hundreds of years. Nowadays it’s widely used in the food industry as a thickening & gelling agent. In recent years, its safety has come into question. Some experts claim it can negatively impact your health & digestion while others claim it’s perfectly safe. So let's dive into the facts and the fiction.

The controversy

Carrageen is rooted in ancient cooking and medicine. This ingredient has been around for hundreds of years, but modern medicine has recently called it into question.  Some scientists claim carrageenan is highly inflammatory and toxic to the digestive tract, and claim that it may be responsible for colitis, IBS, rheumatoid arthritis, and even colon cancer. However, its use in many things (including meats, dairy, canned goods, and gummy products) makes it difficult to pinpoint what amount, if any, directly causes adverse health problems. 

Why it’s not bad

Carrageenan has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for years, claiming its safety for continued use in the food industry. The studies that have been done on carrageenan are inconclusive, claiming no direct correlation can be found to suggest the ingredient causes diseases like IBS or colon cancer. Some people have found improved digestion when eliminating it, while others have seen no difference.

The Endose verdict

The Endose verdict? Carrageenan is a safe, and fantastic ingredient for use in gummy production. Its shelf stability and vegan profile make it a powerful ingredient for gummy formulation. While some people may suffer from sensitivities to the ingredient, there is no scientific evidence that links it directly to the diseases previously mentioned.

If you are looking to develop a vegan product, carrageenan is an ingredient that many consumers in your target market will already interact with and feel comfortable with. And if you’re looking to develop an option that can withstand higher heat and give killer shelf-stability, carrageenan is definitely the right ingredient choice.

Are you working to perfect your gummy formula? The experts at Endose can help.

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