Carrageenan
Carrageenan is a seaweed-derived thickener and stabilizer used to change texture, keep ingredients suspended, and improve mouthfeel in processed foods.
It attracts interest because it sounds natural while still showing up in ingredient-avoidance conversations, especially among people trying to reduce ultra-processed additives.
- Concern
- Low / Limited Concern
- Function
- Thickener/Stabilizer
- Updated
- 2026-03-18
What this is
Carrageenan (E407) is a polysaccharide from red seaweed used to thicken and stabilize foods. In fast food, it helps keep shakes, soft-serve mixes, sauces, and some plant-based dairy products creamy and uniform. Major regulators permit food-grade carrageenan, with EFSA setting a temporary ADI of 0–75 mg/kg bw/day. In 2024, a large prospective cohort reported an association between higher carrageenan intake and increased breast cancer risk; participants’ intakes were below the ADI, but the signal warrants caution. The EU prohibits carrageenan in infant formula as a precaution.
Critical Endpoints
The key endpoints experts review in safety assessments (critical endpoints). This is not a prediction of harm.
Restaurant Usage
8 linked ingredient reports
State Actions
0 current actions
No current state action is listed for this ingredient in the policy tracker.
Sources
5 visible sources