How carcinogenic is carrageenan

Is carrageenan safe to eat?

While carrageenan is an approved additive, some people still have concerns about its safety. However, research is limited to verify these safety concerns.

Carrageenan is a common food additive extracted from red seaweed. Manufacturers often use it as a thickening agent.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved the additive for use, but concerns about its safety remain.

Some scientists believe that carrageenan can cause inflammation, digestive problems, such as bloating and irritable bowel disease (IBD), and even colon cancer.

However, the validity of these claims is hotly debated because the only supporting evidence comes from studies in cells and animals.

In this article, we take a closer look at the risks and uses of carrageenan.

Different forms of carrageenan have different uses and potential risks.

Food-grade carrageenan is extracted from red seaweed and processed with alkaline substances.

When carrageenan is processed with acid, it creates a substance called degraded carrageenan, or poligeenan, which carries significant health warnings.

Poligeenan is an inflammatory substance. Researchers often use it to test new anti-inflammatory drugs in the laboratory. Poligeenan is not approved as a food additive.

Degraded carrageenan, or poligeenan, is not safe to eat. Research in animals indicates that it causes gut tumors and ulcers, and may even trigger colon cancer.

Because of the possible danger, fewer studies have investigated the potential effects in humans.

Findings like these have led the International Agency for Research in Cancer to list poligeenan as a possible human carcinogen.

This means that the agency has reviewed the evidence that poligeenan can cause cancer in animals and concluded that it may have the same effect in humans.

Some scientists are concerned that food-grade carrageenan is also dangerous. This is because various studies, dating back to the 1960s, show that the substance may degrade and become toxic when it mixes with stomach acid.

The medical community is unsure to what extent carrageenan degrades in the digestive system. This means that we do not know if any amount is toxic. It is important to note that no related studies have involved human participants.

Findings of a review from 2017 indicated that even non-degraded carrageenan can cause inflammation and bowel disorders, suggesting that this substance may contribute to ulcers and IBD.

However, authors of a 2018 review concluded that there is not enough evidence to draw conclusions about the exact health effects of carrageenan.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that eliminating carrageenan from the diet can provide relief from digestive problems, such as bloating and IBD. However, these reports are not the result of scientific research.

Carrageenan has a variety of uses.

Though it has no flavor or nutritional value, it is a useful thickening agent and stabilizer. Some manufacturers include it in products like chocolate milk, to stop the milk from separating.

It can also substitute for fat in non- or low-fat foods and dairy replacement products aimed at the vegan market.

Some manufacturers use carrageenan as a binder in processed deli meats. Others inject it into pre-cooked poultry to tenderize the meat and keep it juicy for longer.

Companies often use carrageenan as a vegan alternative to gelatin, in desserts, for example. It is also a common ingredient in canned pet food.

Non-food products, such as air freshener gels and toothpaste also frequently contain carrageenan.

The FDA requires manufacturers to state whether products contain carrageenan on labeling.

There is some debate over whether the findings of animal- and cell-based studies can apply to people.

If they can, the possible side effects of consuming carrageenan include:

Because carrageenan has a variety of uses, it is included in a wide range of products.

The following foods commonly contain carrageenan:

• Dairy: whipping cream, chocolate milk, ice cream, sour cream, cottage cheese, and childrens squeezable yogurt products
• Dairy alternatives: soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk, coconut milk, and soy puddings and other desserts
• Meats: sliced turkey, prepared chicken, and deli meats
• Prepared foods: canned soups and broths, microwavable dinners, and frozen pizzas

Some nutritional or diet drinks contain carrageenan, as do some supplements, including chewable vitamins.

Because it can be used as a gelatin alternative, some manufacturers use carrageenan in jelly-based products, including vegan jelly desserts.

In the U.S., any products that contain carrageenan must list it as an ingredient. A person should be able to avoid carrageenan by checking labeling carefully.

Carrageenans texture-enhancing qualities, for example, can be replicated using:

• locust bean gum
• gum arabic
• alginate
• guar gum
• xanthan gum

When a drink that tends to separate, such as chocolate milk, does not contain a stabilizer, a person may need to shake the bottle. This does not affect the quality or safety of the product.

There has long been concern and debate over the safety of consuming carrageenan. This food additive is produced by mixing a seaweed extract with alkaline substances.

Scientists widely accept that degraded carrageenan, or poligeenan, can trigger cancer and other health issues. Poligeenan is made by mixing the same seaweed extract with acid. It is a powerful inflammatory agent used in laboratories.

Studies in animals indicate that some food-grade carrageenan can degrade, becoming poligeenan, when it is exposed to stomach acid.

These studies have not shown conclusively whether the amount of degraded carrageenan is dangerous. However, because of the potential risk, no researchers have conducted studies in humans.

In the U.S., the FDA have approved carrageenan for use as a food additive.

Some people report that eliminating carrageenan from the diet has helped relieve symptoms of stomach discomfort, such as bloating and IBD. However, no scientific research supports these claims.

A critical review of the toxicological effects of carrageenan and processed eucheuma seaweed on the gastrointestinal tract

Abstract

Carrageenan is a high-molecular-weight, strongly anionic polymer derived from several species of red seaweed that is used for the textural stabilization of foods. Processed Eucheuma Seaweed (PES) is a form of carrageenan with a higher cellulose content. Food-grade carrageenan has a weight average molecular weight greater than 100,000 Da, with a low percentage of smaller fragments. Carrageenan is not degraded to any extent in the gastrointestinal tract and is not absorbed from it in species examined, such as rodents, dogs, and non-human primates. Systemically administered carrageenan has been reported to have a variety of effects, particularly on the immune system, but these are not pertinent to orally administered carrageenan. The substance poligeenan (formerly referred to as degraded carrageenan) is not a food additive. It exhibits toxicological properties at high doses that do not occur with the food additive carrageenan. In-long term bioassays, carrageenan has not been found to be carcinogenic, and there is no credible evidence supporting a carcinogenic effect or a tumor-promoting effect on the colon in rodents. Also, like many dietary fibers, there is significant cecal enlargement in rodents when it is administered at high doses, but this does not appear to be associated with any toxicological consequences to the rodent. Many toxicological studies on carrageenan have involved administration at doses in excess of today's standards for dietary feeding levels in bioassays, and they are orders of magnitude in excess of those to which humans are exposed. Previous reviews of carrageenan and PES by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) have recommended a group allowable daily intake (ADI) of "not specified". The lack of carcinogenic, genotoxic, or tumor-promoting activity with carrageenan strongly supports continuing such an ADI, and JECFA, during its most recent review in 2001, continued this recommendation. The various toxicological studies related to orally administered food-grade carrageenan are summarized along with a brief discussion of critical factors in intestinal carcinogenesis.

Publication types

• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
• Review

MeSH terms

• Administration, Oral
• Animals
• Carrageenan / administration & dosage
• Carrageenan / pharmacokinetics
• Carrageenan / toxicity*
• Cecum / drug effects
• Cecum / pathology
• Digestive System / drug effects*
• Digestive System / microbiology
• Digestive System / pathology
• Dogs
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Food Additives / toxicity
• Mice
• Polysaccharides / toxicity
• Rats
• Seaweed*
• Toxicity Tests

Substances

• Food Additives
• Polysaccharides
• poligeenan
• Carrageenan

The Carrageenan Controversy

The Carrageenan Controversy

Carrageenan has been used in traditional food preparation for hundreds of years and is an ingredient in many organic and vegan foods. But now critics are calling for a ban. Is carrageenan safe? Nutrition Diva sorts through the evidence

By Nutrition Diva Monica Reinagel

Carrageenan has been the subject of a lot of controversy and several of you have asked me to comment. For those who may not be up to speed on the topic, let me start with a quick overview.

What Is Carrageenan?Carrageenan is an extract from a red seaweed commonly known as Irish Moss. Thisedible seaweedis native to the British Isles, where it's been used in traditional cooking for hundreds of years. It's also widely used in the food industry, mostly as a thickener and gelling agent. You'll find it in ice cream, cottage cheese,non-dairy milks, jelly, pudding, and infant formula. Unlike gelatin, which is made from animal products, carageenan is appropriate for vegans.

Who would have thought that this ancient, natural, plant-based ingredient would become center of a swirling controversy? But it certainly has. Some scientists havepresented evidencethat carrageenan is highly inflammatory and toxic to the digestive tract, and claim that it may be reponsible for colitis,IBS,rheumatoid arthritis, and even colon cancer. Equally respected scientists havedetailed the reasonsthat this evidence is flawed and misleading, concluding that there is no valid reason to ban its use.

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You must be picky about your heavy cream if you wish to avoid carrageenan. Heavy cream, like several other dairy products, often contains the controversial food additive.

Below we provided you with a list of heavy cream products without carrageenan. We hope you find it useful to help you live carrageenan-free if that is a goal for you!

Be sure to check the ingredients at the store before you purchase any of the brands listed since ingredients can change at any time. The ingredients on the label will be the most accurate and up-to-date.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that carrageenan be listed in the ingredients so youll know if a heavy cream contains it by simply reviewing whats in it.

Carrageenan-Free Heavy Cream

The heavy cream products you see in the table below were carrageenan-free at the time of this article. These are popular heavy cream products that can be purchased at major grocery stores. Several are simply made with just quality cream.

Generally, most organic heavy cream products are carrageenan-free whereas most regular heavy creams contain carrageenan. However, there are exceptions so you should never assume a heavy cream does not have carrageenan.

Potential Carrageenan Side Effects

Carrageenan has several potential side effects that are concerning for some people. However, there certainly needs to be additional research completed for clarity on the impact of carrageenan on the body.

These are the possible side effects of consuming carrageenan as determined by the sources listed at the end of this article:

• Bloating
• Inflammation
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBD)
• Colon Cancer
• Liver Cancer
• Glucose Intolerance
• Insulin resistance
• Immune Suppression
• Fetal Toxicity
• Birth Defects
• Ulceration in Large Intestine

While the above list is likely not exhaustive, it hits on the significant potential concerns with consuming carrageenan. Currently, the FDA considers carrageenan generally recognized as safe as long as it is used as intended in foods. Of course, that could change as we learn more about the controversial food additive.

Ultimately, it is up to you whether or not to consume heavy cream or other products with carrageenan. There are plenty of heavy creams without carrageenan so there certainly are options assuming price and availability are not issues.

Sources:Barrell, A. (2018, September 19). Is carrageenan safe to eat?. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323117Ruggeri, C. (2023, April 9). Is Carrageenan Bad for Your Health? What Are Safer Alternatives?. Dr. Axe. https://draxe.com/nutrition/what-is-carrageenan/