"There are three main classes of carrageenan — kappa, iota, and lambda — each of which have different gel strengths. The kappa class produces a solid, firm gel when mixed with water, and is known for reacting well with dairy proteins. The iota class produces a soft gel when mixed with water, and tends to gel more easily when combined with calcium. The lambda class does not gel in water, although it will in the right concentration in milk; it is more often used as a thickener than to cause a product to gel.
Traditionally, the species of algae used to produce carrageenan was Irish moss or Chondrus crispus. In modern times, the kappa class is mostly produced from the Eucheuma cottonii species, while iota comes from Eucheuma denticulatum and lambda from species in the Gigartina genus. Other types of red algae are also used, and yield various amounts of each class....
Health Concerns
Several studies in the early 2000s suggested that a certain type of carrageenan — degraded carrageenan, which has been hydrolyed, or broken down by acid — could cause gastrointestinal problems, including cancers. The degraded type is not typically used in food. In fact, only the undegraded variety has been deemed safe for human consumption by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and approved for use in foods by the Food and Drug Administration in the US."
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"Although derived from a natural source, carrageenan appears to be particularly destructive to the digestive system, triggering an immune response similar to that your body has when invaded by pathogens like Salmonella. The result: "Carrageenan predictably causes inflammation, which can lead to ulcerations and bleeding," explains veteran carrageenan researcher Joanne Tobacman, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Illinois School of Medicine at Chicago. She says the food ingredient irritates by activating an immune response that dials up inflammation. Her previous work showed a concerning connection between carrageenan and gastrointestinal cancer in lab animals, and she's involved with ongoing research funded through the National Institutes of Health that is investigating carrageenan's effect on ulcerative colitis and other diseases like diabetes.
The concern over food-grade carrageenan isn't new. Beginning in the 1960s, researchers started linking the ingredient to gastrointestinal disease in lab animals, including ulcerative colitis, intestinal lesions, and colon cancer."
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Other point of view:
"How do we know that carrageenan is a safe food additive?
Dr. Tobacman’s research was reviewed by the Joint FAO*/WHO** Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), an independent international panel of expert toxicologists who review data and develop recommendations pertaining to food ingredients. Their review of the study, and of carrageenan, included an evaluation of degradation of carrageenan and “public speculation of the harmful gastrointestinal effects” of carrageenan. As a result of the evaluation, the JECFA committee determined that the studies of carrageenan on laboratory animals were conducted with high levels of degraded carrageenan (poligeenan) and that food-grade carrageenan was a safe food additive with no limits on its use in food. Those studies used a different form of carrageenan and were tested only at high use levels. The JECFA determined that carrageenan was a safe food additive with no limits on its use in food (5) and “assigned it an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of “not specified” the most favorable category. An ADI of 0-75mg/kg body weight is established in the EU” and is allowed to be used as needed. (6) -
Conclusion
We know that our customers expect us to use only the highest quality and healthiest ingredients available, and we do everything we can to satisfy those expectations. We feel confident in our choice to use carrageenan and its alignment with our mission to make natural, healthy vegetarian foods. If you would like more information about our research, or have other questions, please email us at info@followyourheart.com. *FAO = Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations **WHO = World Health Organization"
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