Human beings evolved from marine organisms millions of years ago and are still very attached to their roots, which satisfy their ever demanding “needs”. In fact, the vast potential of the marine world’s wealth has taken care of the daily dietary needs of human beings… this article is about exploring one of those potentials!

The marine ecosystem is dynamic and complex, with enormous potential that goes beyond human understanding. This ecosystem is one of the most productive biodiversities that provides a variety of useful resources, whose applications go beyond basic dietary needs. Carrageenan or carrageenans, a popular natural food additive, is extracted from red algae species (mainly Kappaphycus and Eucheuma spinosum) known for their wide application spectrum in the food and beverage industry.

Carrageenan is defined as a family of linear sulfated polysaccharides (carbohydrates) extracted from edible red algae. It is a colloidal substance obtained from a purplish-brown cartilaginous algae, used mainly as an emulsifying and stabilizing ingredient in food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.

What are the market sentiments for carrageenan?

A report by a market research company estimated the value of the global carrageenan market at USD 762.35 million in 2016. Carrageenan has around 13.3% share of the global food and beverage hydrocolloids market.

Today, natural ingredients make up a third of the total food and beverage market. There is a growing demand globally for natural additives in processed foods to meet the clean label requirement. This particular trend has been a crucial driver for the overall carrageenan market as it is recognized by different regulatory bodies around the world as a non-synthetic food additive.

Synthetic (artificial) additives are cheaper, readily available, and efficient in their function, and are therefore preferred by food manufacturers to natural additives. However, the growing health awareness associated with economic empowerment has allowed consumers to opt for natural alternatives even though they are expensive. This is due to the harmful health effects associated with artificial additives as reported by many scientific research papers, along with various forms of side effects and allergies.

There are three main types of carrageenan: kappa, iota and lambda, depending on the elemental differences that are used commercially. The predominant type on the market is kappa, which is increasingly used in the food industry, where it functions as a bodying agent, stabilizer and emulsifier in meat and dairy products.

There are three major application areas for carrageenan: food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. The food industry leads the market with applications in dairy, meat, beverages, etc. Carrageenan as a food additive has three major functional roles: First, it is widely used as a thickening agent, particularly in low-fat or fat-free foods such as cottage cheese or sour cream, and as a fat substitute. . Carrageenan thickens foods making them creamier and fuller in flavor.

The second important functional role of carrageenan is to be used as a stabilizing agent for beverages, such as chocolate milk or milk shakes, which separate if not shaken. Carrageenan is also used as a gelling agent, particularly in dairy and confectionery products, to help them stay firm longer and retain their shape.

Regionally, Asia-Pacific and Europe are considered the main markets for carrageenan due to the growing demand for processed foods and meat products in Asia-Pacific and the strong preference of Europeans for dairy products, respectively. Furthermore, Asia-Pacific is poised to dominate the global carrageenan market with a lion’s share by 2022, due to the high rate of carrageenan-producing algae cultivation and low labor cost.

Major barriers to market: Carrageenan as a food additive recently faced a major setback in the United States, where many food manufacturers decided to stop using it as a food additive, particularly in infant formulas due to its carcinogenic potential.

In some animal studies, the additive has been linked to destructive gastrointestinal problems, including inflammatory bowel disease and possibly even tumor production. Therefore, the associated safety concern among consumers is restraining the growth of the global carrageenan market.

Way Ahead: The growth trajectory of the carrageenan market is expected to be moderate in the near future, if not high, as available alternatives are not as efficient as carrageenan, particularly in the meat and dairy industries. Carrageenan shows excellent water-binding ability and syneresis control is important in processed meats. Furthermore, a unique property of carrageenan is its ability to interact with milk proteins, which form a particularly strong bond with carrageenan.

The world’s major regulatory agencies (US FDA, FAO/WHO JECFA, EU EFSA, etc.) continue to approve the use of carrageenan as a food additive due to its natural source, as well as its broad, well-established safety profile, which is evident from its decade-long application. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) concluded that the use of food-grade carrageenan in infant formulas, at concentrations up to 1,000 milligrams per litre, “is not of concern”.

Therefore, a more proactive approach in the utilization of this food additive, by maintaining a multiple safety margin, along with a clean label guarantee, will pave the way for sustainable market growth.