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With a long history of safe use and broad global regulatory approvals for its use in foods and beverages, carrageenan is a unique and highly versatile food ingredient. Carrageenan, which is derived from red seaweed, has been consumed for centuries and used in foods for over 600 years. Carrageenan offers numerous technological functions in foods

Following the April 2018 publication of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food’s (ANSES) Scientific Opinion on the re-evaluation of carrageenan (CGN; E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (PES; E 407a) as food additives, EFSA issued a call for technical and toxicological data on CGN in

The European Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals Regulation, commonly referred to as REACH (Regulation 1907/2006/EC), places an obligation on European manufacturers and importers to register their products in order to continue production in or import into the European market. REACH registration does not apply to substances intended for use in food or feed

Marinalg International, a global association representing manufacturers of seaweed-derived hydrocolloids, applauds the decision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to keep carrageenan on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, thereby maintaining the integrity of the U.S. organic program and confirming carrageenan is essential to organic food production. USDA’s announcement concludes a nearly

On November 17, 2016, the U.S. National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted to remove carrageenan from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, a misguided and unscientific decision which will force many organic food producers to reformulate their products. Reformulation will impact the quality of many organic products that contain carrageenan and may reduce

On August 25, the Food Navigator USA published a story, “New Research Tackles Carrageenan Safety Concerns,” which describes the recent in vitro research on carrageenan conducted by Dr. James McKim.  A copy of the article is available here. As noted in the article, Dr. McKim’s work represents repeated attempts to replicate research conducted by Dr. Joanne

On July 14, the food news website FoodDive published an article, “Fear Mongering Continues with Carrageenan,” which was authored and placed by Food Science Matters. The article provides a strong defense of carrageenan while refuting the claims of the Cornucopia Institute and Dr. Joanne Tobacman ahead of the NOSB upcoming decision on relisting carrageenan in

On April 14, 2016, the Cornucopia Institute issued a report falsely claiming to expose a “food industry cover-up” in which Marinalg International[1] allegedly hid information that showed the food ingredient, carrageenan, is unfit for consumption. These outrageous and unsupported claims are the most recent in an ongoing campaign to mislead and alarm consumers about an

KEY INTERVIEW: Carrageenan Fights Back As Study Confirms Its Safety in Food Use On February 15, 2016, Food Ingredients First published an interview with toxicologist Dr. Myra Weiner, Carrageenan Fights Back As Study Confirms Its Safety in Food Use. In the interview, Dr. Weiner discusses common weaknesses in food additive research, using carrageenan as a case