Food additives data book - wordpres

TECHNOLOGY OF USE IN FOODS: Carrageenans should be dispersed in cold water and heated for 10 minutes at 80°C to hydrate the
polysaccharide. A high shear mixer will aid dispersion, although prolonged shear of high molecularweight
polymers will reduce the viscosity.
Commercially available grades of carrageenan are complex mixtures of a wide range of carrageenans
(kappa, iota, lambda, etc.) with different molecular weights, a range of different cations (chiefly
potassium, sodium and calcium) and other constituents (e.g. polysorbate 80, celluloses in semi-refined
carrageenans). Consequently the functional properties of carrageenan extracts are extremely diverse.
Extracts with a high concentration of lambda-carrageenans do not gel at all but can be useful
thickeners. Lambda-carrageenans can interact with proteins below the protein isoelectric point, and this
interaction has been used to improve the stability of protein products
SYNERGISTS: Proteins; chitosan
ANTAGONISTS: Any positive or negatively charged molecule is a potential antagonist
FOOD SAFETY ISSUES: Suspected carcinogen. May induce colonic ulcers. The powder is combustible
LEGISLATION: USA: UK and EUROPE: AUSTRALIA/PACIFIC RIM:
FDA 21CFR § 172.620, UK: approved. Japan: approved for use as a
172.623, 172.626, Europe: listed. Carrageenans extracted natural thickener and stabiliser
182.7255. GRAS. USDA using traditional aqueous extraction
9CFR § 318.7. ADI = methods are labelled E407.
75 mg/kg Carrageenans (PES, PNC, ARC)
extracted using an alternative
commercial method are labelled
E407a
REFERENCES: Ash, M., and Ash, I. (1996) Food Additives. Gower Publishing Co., Brookfield, VT.
Craighie, J. S., and Leigh, C. (1978) Carrageenans and Agars. In: Handbook of Physiological and
Biochemical Methods. Cambridge University Press, p. 114.
Shepherd, R. (1996) Extraction, purification and characterization of novel carrageenans with
potential applications in dairy products. NZBA.
Therkelsen, G. H. (1993) Carrageenan. In: Whistler, R. L., and J. N. BeMiller (Eds.), Industrial
Gums: Polysaccharides and Derivatives. 3rd edition, pp. 145–180.
Lambda-carrageenan 681