The type of carrageenan depends on the quality of the algae and the type of production. The main species of algae cultivated for carrageenan production are Kappa alvarezzi, Eucheuma denticulatum, Gigartina skottsbergii and Chondrus crispus. Extra-EU trade in HS code 130239, under which carrageenan is marketed, has increased by 9.9% since 2015; it accounted for 69.8% of all imports into the Netherlands in 2019. The Philippines was the largest exporter to the Netherlands in 2019. Natural Spices and Labshop are 2 major players in the Dutch market. Many species of red algae produce different types of carrageenan during their evolutionary history. For example, the genus Gigartina produces mainly kappa carrageenans in the gametophyte stage and lambda carrageenans in their sporophyte stage. Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed eucheuma algae (E 407a) as food additives. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Journal Volume16, Issue4 April 2018 e05238 In a 2015 review, the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives published a technical report on the use of carrageenan in infant formula and found that the additive in infant formula Food for medical purposes special at concentrations up to 1000 milligrams per liter. [30] The use of carrageenan in infant formula, whether organic or not, is prohibited in the EU for precautionary reasons, but authorised in other foods. [31] In 2018, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) indicated that the safety of carrageenan in food is based on an ADI of 75 mg/kg body weight per day. [4] The NOSO recommended the phase-out of carrageenan because it found that other materials such as gellan gum, guar gum or xanthan gum are available for use in organic products.

AMS found sufficient evidence in public statements to the NOSB that carrageenan is still necessary for the handling of agricultural products, as purely natural substitutes are not available (§ 6517(c)(1)(ii)). Carrageenan has specific uses in a number of agricultural products, and public comments indicated that potential substitutes do not adequately replicate the functions of carrageenan in the wide range of uses. As a result, carrageenan continues to meet OFPA`s criteria for inclusion on the national list. [29] Examples of quality standards and certifications include International Organization (ISO) 22000:2018 and 9001 certification and Food Safety Systems certification (FSSC 22000). In addition, exporters should inform European buyers of the certification they have and advertise it on marketing materials and on the company`s website. This will help them prepare and compete with other providers. Indonesian company Indo Gum offers FSSC 22000 certified carrageenan and clearly displayed on its website. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been a terrifying buzzword in the world of healthy eating for decades and a red flag for many consumers.

But despite increased public awareness of research confirming that GMOs put people at high risk of toxicity and immunosuppression, to name just a few known evils, GMOs are still legal in the U.S. and there won`t be mandatory labeling products containing GMOs until 2022. The European Commission has given countries the choice to phase out GMOs and a number of countries, including Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, Italy and Croatia, have introduced a total ban on GMOs. Some California counties have banned genetically modified crops. Let us hope that other regions will follow. There are three major commercial classes of carrageenan: Alternative natural food additives compete with seaweed extracts and restrain the market growth. For instance, alternatives such as guar, gelatin, pectin, and xanthan gum competing with carrageenan may limit the growth in the European carrageenan market. Figures 9 and 10 show the volume and value of imports of mucilage and thickeners, modified or unmodified, obtained from plant products other than agar, guar or locust beans, including carrageenan, during the period 2015-2019. Figure 9 shows that total imports fell from 297.7 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 59.7 thousand tonnes in 2019, a decrease of 80%. The value of total imports decreased by 3.1% to €414.3 million in 2019.

Extra-EU trade accounted for 54% of trade in 2019, an increase of 42.2% compared to 2015. The first commercial cultivation of Eucheuma and Kappaphycus spp. for carrageenan on an industrial scale was developed in the Philippines. The world`s main producers of carrageenan are the Philippines and Indonesia. [5] [6] [7] Carrageenan is used with agar to make traditional jelly desserts in the Philippines called gulaman. [8] It`s not easy to prepare wet food without carrageenan, but we think it`s worth it. Therefore, our policy is to exclude carrageenan from all Gold-D products. Some studies have shown that carrageenan can cause colon ulceration, ulcerative colitis, colon and liver cancer, inflammation, as well as fetal toxicity and birth defects. In addition, carrageenan is prohibited in baby foods such as baby food. Alternatives such as gum arabic, guar gum, agar, and gelatin are considered healthier.

Studies have shown that carrageenan or degraded poliganes have dangerous inflammatory effects. Detection of food-grade carrageenan side effects is limited to animal and cellular studies. «With respect to the use of carrageenan in foods for infants and young children, the Panel agreed with the SCF (1998a, 2003a,b) «In the absence of additional information on the possible absorption of carrageenan through the immature intestine in very young infants, the Committee reiterates its previous view (SCF, 1998a) that it is still not advisable to: Use carrageenan in formula for infants fed from birth. including those falling within the category of food for special medical purposes. Source: EFSA review on the harmful gastrointestinal effects of carrageena in animal experiments. Environ Health Perspect. October 2001; 109(10): 983–994. However, in 2018, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that carrageenan below certain levels of consumption (75 mg/kg bw per day) is not toxic. As a result, despite negative publicity, carrageenan is approved as a food additive by EU food regulations within prescribed limits.

However, EFSA said this «should be considered temporary», creating uncertainty for carrageenan on the European market. This can dampen demand until the issue is resolved. Demand for carrageenan has also been dampened by negative media reports. Based on some studies, activist groups believe that carrageenan is linked to health problems. A number of studies suggest that carrageenan consumption may have harmful effects. EPS and AMF processes are the most cost-effective because they require less capital and produce high-quality kappa carrageenan. European consumers are also increasingly buying packaged food as their lifestyle changes, a trend that is expected to continue in the future. Lifestyle changes include a busier life that translates into less time spent cooking, an increase in household disposable income, and growing consumer acceptance of packaged foods.

Figure 4 shows packaged food sales in Western European countries from 2015 to 2020. Seaweed extracts such as carrageenan and agar are used in packaged foods. This figure was first published in 2019 and 2020 is a forecast. Iota Carraghenan is an elastic gel ideal for use in cold-filled products. The European food industry uses small amounts of carrageenan iota in food where the particles have to be suspended. Examples of its use are salad dressings and soy milk. On the other hand, when used in larger quantities, iota produces a stronger gel that offers the opportunity to create sauce in pet food. Extracts of chondrus crispus gelatin algae have been used as food additives since about the fifteenth century. [3] Carrageenan is a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin in some applications and can therefore be used to replace gelatin in confectionery and other foods. There is no clinical evidence for the presence of carrageenan as a dangerous food ingredient, mainly because its fate is insufficiently determined after digestion. [4] To mitigate this challenge, exporters of seaweed extracts in developing countries should reassure European buyers that their product is safe as it is approved on the European market. For example, focusing on the authorisation of carrageenan on the European market within the prescribed limits.

The food industry uses carrageenan as an ingredient, as it helps thicken products. There are three main structures of carrageenan that have different functionalities for a range of food applications. The three main structures of carrageenan are kappa, iota and lambda. All carrageenans are high molecular weight polysaccharides and consist mainly of alternating 3-bond b-D-galac topyranose (G units) and 4-bond a-D-galactopyranose (D units) or 4-bond 3,6-anhydro-a-D-galactopyranose polysaccharides, which form the disaccharide repeat unit of carrageenans. [9] After harvest, the seaweed is dried, concentrated and sent to the carrageenan grower. There, the algae are crushed, sieved for impurities such as sand and thoroughly washed. After treatment with a hot alkaline solution (e.g. 5–8% potassium hydroxide), cellulose is removed from carrageenan by centrifugation and filtration. The resulting carrageenan solution is then concentrated by evaporation.