卡拉胶

下面是卡拉胶应用的一些例子：

• 软糖、甜品、冰淇淋、淡奶油、奶昔、乳酪、调味酱、沙拉醬及煉奶等：作为增加粘性的凝胶剂，代替琼脂；
• 醬汁：以增加其黏稠度；
• 啤酒：作为清除絮蛋白質的澄清剂；
• 肉酱和肉制品：替代脂肪来增加持水性和体积的持水剂；
• 牙膏：防止成分分离的稳定剂；
• Fruit Gushers: ingredient in the encapsulated gel
• 消防泡沫：产生泡沫的增稠剂；
• 洗髮精和化妆乳膏：增稠剂；
• 空气清新剂：胶凝剂；
• Marbling: the ancient art of paper and fabric marbling uses a carrageenan mixture on which to float paints or inks; the paper or fabric is then laid on it, absorbing the colours
• 鞋油：作为增加黏度的胶凝剂；
• 生物工艺学：固定细胞及酶的凝胶；
• Pharmaceuticals: used as an inactive 賦形劑 in pills and tablets
• 豆浆及植物奶：增稠劑；
• Diet sodas: to enhance texture and suspend flavours
• 寵物食品
• 人体润滑剂
• Vegetarian hot dogs

In the U.S., carrageenan is allowed under FDA regulations[3] as a direct food additive and is considered 公认安全[4] when used in the amount necessary as an emulsifier, stabilizer, or thickener in foods, except those standardized foods that do not provide for such use. FDA also reviewed carrageenan safety for infant formula.[5] The European Food Safety Authority concluded "there is no evidence of any adverse effects in humans from exposure to food-grade carrageenan, or that exposure to degraded carrageenan from use of food-grade carrageenan is occurring",[6] Furthermore, the Joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives stated in a July 2014 review of carrageenan "that the use of carrageenan in infant formula or formula for special medical purposes at concentrations up to 1000 mg/L is not of concern".[7]

Although the National Organic Program (NOP) had added carrageenan to its National List of additives allowed to be included in organic foods in 2003,[8] and reviewed and reauthorized it in 2008,[9] noting it as "critical to organic production and handling operations",[10] on November 18, 2016 the NOP's National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) voted to recommend carrageenan be removed from the National List of additives allowed in organic food production.[11]

On April 4, 2018 the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) (美国农业部) published a document to announce the renewal of carrageenan on the National List, allowing its continued use in food products. The document states, “The NOSB recommended removing carrageenan because they determined that alternative materials, such as gellan gum, guar gum, or xanthan gum, are available for use in organic products” continuing, “AMS found sufficient evidence in public comments to the NOSB that carrageenan continues to be necessary for handling agricultural products because of the unavailability of wholly natural substitutes (§ 6517(c)(1)(ii)). Carrageenan has specific uses in an array of agricultural products, and public comments reported that potential substitutes do not adequately replicate the functions of carrageenan across the broad scope of use. Therefore, carrageenan continues to meet the OFPA criteria for inclusion on the National List.” [12] The rule went into effect May 29, 2018.

In the most recent review by an independent panel, the Joint Expert Committee of the 联合国粮食及农业组织 of the 联合国 and 世界卫生组织 on Food Additives released a technical report in 2015 on the use of carrageenan in 配方奶粉 and found that the additive was ‘not of concern’ in infant formula as food for special medical purposes at concentrations up to 1000 千克s per 公升.[13] The use of carrageenan in infant formula, organic or otherwise, is prohibited in the EU for precautionary reasons, but is permitted in other food items.[14]

In the UK, the Food Standards Agency issued a product recall for sweets containing carrageenan, stating that carrageenan “is not permitted as an ingredient in jelly confectionery products as it presents a choking hazard”.[15]