Carrageenans or carrageenins (/ˌkærəˈɡiːnɪns/ KAH-rə-GHEE-nihns; from Irish carraigín 'little rock') are a family of natural linear sulfated polysaccharides. They are extracted from red edible seaweeds. Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties.
Their main application is in dairy and meat products, due to their strong binding to food proteins.
There are three main commercial classes of carrageenan:
- Kappa forms strong, rigid gels in the presence of potassium ions, and reacts with dairy proteins. It is sourced mainly from Kappaphycusalvarezii
- Iota forms soft gels in the presence of calcium ions. It is produced mainly from Eucheuma denticulatum, and historically from Chondrus crispus.
- Lambda does not gel, and is used to thicken dairy products
The primary differences that influence the properties of kappa, iota, and lambda carrageenan are the number and position of the ester sulfate groups on the repeating galactose units. Higher levels of ester sulfate lower the solubility temperature of the carrageenan and produce lower strength gels, or contribute to gel inhibition
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