The Role of Carrageenans in the Food Industry

There are different types of carrageenans that are used as a natural food additive in whipping up various dishes. Let us explore the properties and applications like enhancing texture and stability.

Carrageenan is a natural, plant based ingredient that is present in many foods used by different people in their daily life. Harvested from red seaweed, it is considered one of nature’s best thickeners and stabilizers. The additive comes in three different types – iota, lambda and kappa carrageenan - that are primarily used to improve the texture, taste and appearance of many foods.

The best part is that all the carrageenans are flavorless – therefore, they can be easily used to thicken, emulsify, and preserve different types of foods and drinks. That’s not all – the food additive is vegan and vegetarian too, thus becoming a safe alternative for animal products like gelatin. In fact, it meets organic, halal and kosher standards too.

How carrageenan is used to unleash culinary delights

Carrageenansplay a varied role in the food industry and are, therefore, added to different dishes for different reasons. For instance:

• The smooth and creamy texture of ice cream is thanks to carrageenan.
• Carrageenan is used as a stabilizer in chocolate and almond milk to keep the milk from separating.
• It can work to reduce the sugar content of jams and jellies.
• The nutrients in liquid infant formula are stabilized and suspended in the presence of carrageenan, thus ensuring babies get the necessary nutrition.
• It can keep meats moist, fresh and juicy while also reducing the sodium content.
• This additive is used as a substitute for fat in non- or low-fat foods and dairy replacement in vegan foods.
• It works to protect and even improve the nutritional value of different foods without impinging on the taste factor.
• This is also a common ingredient in canned pet foods.

Canned soups, frozen pizzas and cottage cheese often contain carrageenan as do nutritional drinks and chewable vitamins.

Given the controversy in certain circles surrounding the use of carrageenans, keep in mind that they are marked by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as permitted for use in food for human consumption apart from being confirmed safe by the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international organizations.

However, the utility is not limited to food preparations alone. Carrageenans are known to have medicinal value and are used for cough, bronchitis, tuberculosis, constipation and other intestinal problems. It forms one of the ingredients in weight loss products too.

When it comes to buying carrageenans, such food additives are both difficult to find and range on the expensive side. In fact, given the limited availability in the market – confined to specialty food ingredient providers – the prices can be quite outrageous at times. This is where Cape Crystal Brands comes into the picture. The brand is known for supplying a range of top quality food ingredients – including kappa, lambda and iota carrageenan – at the most reasonable prices.