Carrageenan is an additive used to thicken, emulsify, and preserve foods and drinks

Carrageenan, also known as eucheuma glue, plastic AGAR weed, pelvetia silquosa glue, carrageen glue, because Carrageenan from red algae eucheuma, AGAR weed and pelvetia silquosa seaweed extracted hydrophilic colloid, its chemical structure is composed of galactose and dehydration galactose polysaccharide sulfate calcium, potassium, sodium, ammonium salt. Due to the different binding forms of sulfate, it can be divided into K type (Kappa), I type (Iota) and L type (Lambda). Widely used in the manufacture of jelly, ice cream, pastry, fudge, canned, meat products, rice porridge, tremella bird’s nest, soup, cold food and so on.

Carrageenan is white or light brown particles or powder. It is odorless or slightly smelly. It tastes sticky and smooth. Soluble in water at about 80℃, forming a viscous, transparent or slightly milky fluid. If first soaked with ethanol, glycerin or saturated sucrose solution, it is easier to disperse in water. Boil the solution with 30 times water for 10min and cool it to form a colloid. The viscosity increases with water and emulsifies with protein to stabilize the emulsion.

Carrageenan as a good coagulant, can replace the usual AGAR, gelatin and pectin. The jelly made of AGAR AGAR is not elastic enough and has a high price. The disadvantage of making jelly with gelatin is low solidification and melting point. The disadvantage of using pectin is that it requires the addition of high soluble sugar and the appropriate pH to set. Carrageenan does not have these disadvantages. The jelly made of carrageenan is elastic and does not have water separation. Therefore, it becomes a common gel for jellies.

Transparent fruit jelly made with carrageenan has been produced in China for a long time. It has strong fruit flavor, moderate sweetness, refreshing and non-sticky teeth. Besides, its transparency is better than AGAR AGAR, and its price is lower than AGAR AGAR.

Although carrageenan does not work as a primary stabilizer in ice cream production, it can be used at very low concentrations as a secondary stabilizer to prevent whey separation. Although carrageenan will increase the viscosity of the system, it cannot contain enough glue to stabilize the system. Locust bean gum, guar gum, and carboxymethyl cellulose are better primary stabilizers when used alone or in combination, but they have the same disadvantage of causing whey separation in ice cream mixtures. So adding carrageenan inhibits that.