Carrageenan:A Naturally Occurring Routinely Used Excipient

Carrageenan is a wholly natural ingredient obtained from certain species of the red seaweed, class Rhodophyceae . Popular sources for carrageenan are the Chondrus Crispus, Eucheuma Cottonii and Eucheuma Spinosum species. Commercial carrageenans are available as stable sodium, potassium, and calcium salts or, most generally, as a mixture of these. Carrageenan has unique properties, which cannot be replaced by other food grade, safe and non-toxic materials. Carrageenans are far more widely used than agar as emulsifiers/stabilizers in numerous foods, especially milk based products. It is estimated that the average human consumption of carrageenans in the United States is 250 milligrams (0.01 ounce) a day. Kappa, iota and lambda carrageenans differ in gelling and milk reactivity and are the three most widely used types in commercial products.