Carrageenan Powder

Carrageenan is a widely used food additives and ingredients, with anti-coagulation, lipid-lowering effect, commonly used in the production of jelly, candy production, ice cream production. It is used as a thickener in the food industry.

Carrageenan is a kind of hydrophilic colloid which is extracted from red edible seaweeds. There are three main varieties of carrageenan, which differ in their degree of sulphation. Κ (Kappa)-carrageenan has one sulfate per disaccharide. Ι (Iota)-carrageenan has two sulfates per disaccharide. Λ (Lambda)-carrageenan has three sulfates per disaccharide.

Kappa forms strong, rigid gels in the presence of potassium ions; it reacts with dairy proteins. It is sourced mainly from Kappaphycus alvarezii.

Iota forms soft gels in the presence of calcium ions. It is produced mainly from Eucheuma denticulatum.

Lambda does not gel and is used to thicken dairy products. The most common source is Gigartina from South America.

The primary differences that influence the properties of kappa, iota, and lambda carrageenan are the number and position of the ester sulfate groups on the repeating galactose units. Higher levels of ester sulfate lower the solubility temperature of the carrageenan and produce lower strength gels, or contribute to gel inhibition (lambda carrageenan).

Many red algal species produce different types of carrageenan's during their developmental history. For instance, the genus Gigartina produces mainly kappa carrageenan during its gametophytic stage, and lambda carrageenan during its sporophytic stage.

All are soluble in hot water, but in cold water, only the lambda form (and the sodium salts of the other two) are soluble.

Notes: Europe prohibits the use of carrageenan in infant food for precautionary reasons.

1. In Food Industry:

- Thickener and Stabilizer: Desserts, ice cream, cream, milkshakes, salad dressings, sweetened condensed milks, and sauces gel to increase viscosity to avoid whey off.

- In sugar industry as coagulator and quality enhancer: In China, people have used carrageenan to produce transparent fruit fondants for a long time. It has higher transparency than agar. It has lower cost but higher production quality. The Carragenan-made sugar has better taste, more elastic with lower viscosity

- In meat: As a preservative; Carrageenan is used for keeping water.

- In Jelly, jams, marmalades & puddings.

2. In Pharmaceutical Industry:

Medicine suspending agent and dispersant, can also be used to make capsules.

3. Daily Industry:

Thickener for toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, air freshener and so on.

4. Industrial Fields:

As thickener and stabilizer, and can be applied to many industrial fields, such as painting, glazing, watercolors & suspending agent for herbicides and pesticides.

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