Carrageenan

Carrageenan is a compound extracted from seaweed from the Rhodophyceae family such as Euchema spinosum and Euchema cottonii which consists of sulfated polyglycan chains with a molecular mass (Mr) of more than 100,000 and is hydrocolloid.[1] Carrageenan and is used in food as a thickener, gelling, and emulsification agent.[1] The three main types of carrageenan used in the food industry are -carrageenan, -carrageenan (E. cottonii), and -carrageenan (E. spinosum).[1] Carrageenan is obtained by extraction from seaweed dissolved in water or alkaline solution and then precipitated using alcohol or KCl.[Alcohol used is limited to methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol. Carrageenan can be used in foods up to a concentration of 1500mg/kg.