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E407 · Carriers, Emulsifiers, Humectants, Stabilisers, Thickeners

Carrageenan

Moderate risk plant derivedthickener

Debated gut inflammation link in degraded form.

Category
Carriers, Emulsifiers, Humectants, Stabilisers, Thickeners
Acceptable daily intake
75 mg/kg body weight/day (EFSA)
Vegan
Yes
Vegetarian
Yes

What it is

Carrageenan (E407) is a family of natural, highly flexible carbohydrates extracted from red edible seaweeds. It is widely used in the food industry for its gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties, particularly in dairy and dairy-alternative products.

How it is used in food

Extracted from Irish moss seaweed, used for centuries in milk puddings.

Commonly found in
  • Almond, oat, and soy milks (prevents separation)
  • Ice cream and chocolate milk
  • Deli meats (as a binder to retain water)
  • Vegan jellies and puddings

Health and safety

The debate centers on whether stomach acid degrades the food form into an inflammatory form.

Carrageenan is highly controversial in health circles. The controversy stems from a degraded form of carrageenan (poligeenan) which is known to cause severe intestinal inflammation and tumors in animals. However, food-grade carrageenan is undegraded and cannot break down into poligeenan during digestion. Regulators consider food-grade carrageenan safe.

Intestinal inflammation debate

sensitive individuals · evidence: disputed

While animal studies on degraded carrageenan show severe inflammation, human studies on food-grade carrageenan are inconclusive. Some individuals report that eliminating carrageenan resolves their IBS or digestive distress, but regulatory bodies maintain that food-grade carrageenan does not cause inflammation in healthy humans.

EFSA re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407)

EFSA renewed its approval in 2018 but asked for more data on degradation.

Regulatory status

RegionStatusNotes
Australia & New Zealand
FSANZ		 Permitted Permitted.
European Union
EFSA / European Commission		 Permitted Authorised for food use under EU regulations (Annex II).
United States
FDA (Food and Drug Administration)		 Permitted Approved by the FDA. Banned from being labelled "Organic" in the US by the NOSB.

Identification on labels

E-number
E407

Also printed asIrish moss · Irish moss extract

Alternatives to this additive

  • E410: Locust bean gum — Used as a clean-label alternative in dairy and ice cream.
  • E418: Gellan gum — Increasingly replacing carrageenan in plant milks to suspend calcium and flavor particles.

How it is made

Red seaweed (often Irish moss) is harvested, dried, and then boiled in an alkaline solution. The carrageenan is then separated, dried, and ground into a powder.

  1. Harvesting — Red seaweed is harvested from the ocean, washed to remove sand and salt, and dried.
  2. Extraction — The seaweed is boiled in an alkaline solution to extract the carrageenan.
  3. Filtration — The solution is filtered to remove the remaining seaweed cellulose.
  4. Precipitation — The carrageenan is precipitated out of the liquid using alcohol or potassium chloride.
  5. Drying — The pure carrageenan is dried and milled into a fine powder.

Worth knowing

Degraded carrageenan (not the food-grade form) inflames animal guts.

Conclusion

E407 is approved globally, but due to consumer pressure and anecdotal reports of digestive discomfort, many brands are actively removing it from their products, particularly in the plant-milk sector.

References

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Entry last reviewed 2026-07-28.

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