Carrageenan

Question: carrageenan? without searching google etc how many ppl know what it is and where do we use it? or was i the only one.

Answer: I had never heard this word before reading this question. Is it the same thing as China grass?

Question: What is the standard curing time for carrageenan gels? We are having inconsistency in gel strength results of carrageenan gels, could it be because of the differences in curing time. Some variables such as cooking time, cooking temperature and curing temperature are controlled.

Answer: 2 minutes

Question: Alternatives to carrageenan and methocel for marbling? I read that you can use cornstarch or gelatin. What are the measurements for either one of these? I need them immediately, and don't have time to order methocel as I usually would. Thanks for any info!

Answer: i use a clear polymer about 3 parts polymer to one part color. but you may want to experiment with that

Question: Why is carrageenan added to many commercial food products? please help. always wondered. 10 points to best answer. 5 points for just answering

Answer: It's a natural thickener. Lots of products want to be a little bit thick and "held together" (gelled) instead of being all runny and watery. It's a natural ingredient, plentiful and very effective. It comes from seaweed!

Question: Could someone give me the properties and products of carrageenan? Any help would be appreciated!

Answer: Due to length, this answer is incomplete. For the rest, see the link below. 1. SOLUBILITY Hot Water All carrageenan types are soluble in hot water at temperatures above its gel melting temperature. Cold Water In cold water, only lambda-carrageenan and the sodium salts of kappa and iota carrageenan are soluble. Potassium and calcium salts from kappa and iota type carrageenan are not soluble in cold water, but will swell as a function of concentration and type of cations present as well as water temperature and condition of dispersion. Hot Milk All carrageenan types are soluble in hot milk but some types are strongly affected by calcium ions present. Cold Milk Lambda carrageenan is soluble in cold milk, due to its insensitivity to the presence of potassium and calcium ions. Kappa and iota carrageenan are insoluble in cold milk, but may be used efficiently to thicken and/or gel cold milk solutions when used in conjunction with a phosphate such as tetra-sodium pyrophosphate (TSPP). Sugar Solution All carrageenan types are relatively insoluble in concentrated sugar solutions at room temperature. Salt Solution (brine) Iota and lambda carrageenan are soluble in concentrated salt solutions (20% to 25% of sodium chloride). Kappa carrageenan is insoluble. 2. GELLING Gelling Mechanism Hot aqueous solution of kappa and iota carrageenans have the ability to form thermo-reversible gels upon its cooling. Texture Kappa and iota carrageenans will only gel in the presence of certain cations. Kappa type carrageenan is potassium ion sensitive and it produces rigid and brittle gels in aqueous solutions with potassium salts. Kappa carrageenan gel presents syneresis (spontaneous extrusion of water through the surface of gel when it is at rest) and the higher the potassium concentration in solution the higher the syneresis. 3. VISCOSITY The viscosity of carrageenan solutions should be determined under conditions where there are no tendencies for the solution to start gelling. When a hot carrageenan solution is cooled, the viscosity increases gradually until the gelling temperature is reached. As the gel starts to form, there is a sudden and a very substantial increase in viscosity. Therefore, the viscosity measurements of carrageenan solutions should be determined at sufficiently high temperatures (75º C) to avoid the effect of gelation. 4. STABILITY Carrageenan solutions are quite stable at neutral or alkaline pHs. At lower pHs their stability decreases, especially at high temperatures. 5. REACTIVITY WITH PROTEINS One of the most important properties that makes carrageenan different from other hydrocolloids is its ability to interact with milk proteins. The high reactivity of carrageenan with milk is due to the strong electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged ester sulfate groups in the carrageenan molecule, with strong positive charges of the milk casein micella. 6. INTERACTION WITH OTHER GUMS Kappa carrageenan shows an unusual synergism with locust beam gum (LBG) in aqueous gel systems. 7. THIXOTROPY At low concentrations iota carrageenan water gels have thixotropic rheological properties. These gels may be fluidized by agitation or shear and will form elastic gels when allowed to stand at rest. This thixotropic property is particularly useful to suspend insoluble particles such as spices in salad sauces.

Question: Where can you buy carrageenan to use in cooking? Does anyone have any recipes that use it?

Answer: Review of harmful gastrointestinal effects of carrageenan in animal experiments

Question: is it possible to make sandwich spread out of carrageenan?? please help!!!this will be for our research study which will be due next week!!

Answer: carrageenan forms a gel structure but it is reversible with stress. It is used in all sorts of products-specifically salad dressing. So there is no reason why you can;t use it to make a spread. Just look up the difference between teh three types. Most ingredient companies will sell a mixture of lambda, kappa and iota carrageenan.

Question: Does the brand "Lactaid" milk product use degraded carrageenan? I had brought me the milk and it does have carrageenan but I wa sresearching and it said that theres two types. degraded carrageenan is dangerous but the other type if ok and safe. Which is why I want to know if the one they use is degraded. It has been known to cause cancer causing agents or something like that and intestinal problems. The lactaid milk does taste good but I dont want to have health problems just because it taste good.

Answer: I don't think so. I can't find that listed on their website, and in the U.S., by law, all ingredients have to be listed. Here is the link to their website: http://www.lactaid.com/products/index.jh…

Question: is there any way i can float acrylic paint on top of water to make marbled paper without using carrageenan? i'm trying to make marbled paper at home but i only have acrylic paint. if i want to use just normal water to float the colours on, is the only option to use ink? ok the problem is my acrylic paint sinks as soon as it touches the surface...

Answer: You can use methylcellulose instead of carageenan, but there are other ways to do it too. You may just need to thin your acrylic paints though before dropping on. Here are some suggestions I've gathered over the years for "marbling" paper: marbelizing paper … "combing" paper, etc, using liquid starch and acrylic paints http://www.make-stuff.com/recycling/marb… 3 parts paint to 1 part water http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lake/… Carefully drop a piece of paper onto the marbleized paint and leave for 18 seconds. Then VERY carefully lift out. Place face down in a vat of warm water for 20 seconds or so to remove starch. Allow to dry Pour liquid starch (liquid starch like for starching shirts) about an inch thick into some throwaway containers. Add a touch of water to several colors of craft acrylic paints Pour a couple of colors across the starch. Swirl a toothpick around it to make patterns, then lay the paper on the surface to pick up paint. (the paper should lay flat) Don’t immerse it. Pull it off and let it dry. (You can keep adding colors to the starch until it’s finally too muddy or the starch runs low. Then start over with a new container). After the paper is dry, you can also dab a bit of metallic paint on a paper towel and randomly daub it across the surface And here are a few more possibilities: OIL PAINTS + Unflavored Gelatin .....(see instructions for this near the bottom of the page) http://members.tripod.com/~Patricia_F/cr… OIL BASED PAINT or SPRAY: The page where this one appeared is now gone, but here's what Patricia_F had written: Oil-based paint Bucket Water Straw or heavy wire Plain (paper?) ornament Set out an appropriate, expendable bucket, deep throwaway pan, etc. and fill with water about halfway. Have children select one or two oil-based paints or spray that is not water soluble. Drop several drops of each color (or spray) onto the water. If it's an oil-based paint it will not mix with the water. Have children stir the water with a straw or heavy wire to swirl the colors around. Have children dip a paper ornament that has a long wire attached to it into the water. Have them swirl it around until it picks up the colors. Hang ornaments up to dry overnight. http://www.tellfriendsnow.com/marbelizin… You might also want to check out these ways of "marbling" with paints: http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/crafting/articl… http://kidscrafts.suite101.com/article.c… making “paste papers� http://www.rubberstampsclub.com/tips/pap… AND, check out the links in this search for more on all those ways: http://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+ma… HTH, Diane B.

Question: What is the chemical formula for carrageenan?

Answer: I don't know what the chemical formula is, but carrageenan is seaweed.

Question: What are some foods with carrageenan or agar in them.? (or any seaweed). I need to bring food in for seaweed food day. Thanks:)

Answer: Susi is a very popular seaweed food.

Question: what is carrageenan gum? is it something added to food.

Answer: carrageenan is NOT seaweed.It is a thickening agent extracted from various forms of red seaweed.It is in many products like toothpaste salad dressing,low fat meat,ice cream,candy and pharmicutical products. I also work at the only carrageenan producer in the United States

Question: Could you give me a list of food that contains carrageenan?

Answer: "Carrageenan is seaweed you know? So it’s natural, right? Ha! About as “natural� as MSG (which comes from rice), Splenda (which comes from sugar…kinda), and Aspertame (comes from oil). One finds it in processed foods: milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, frosting, cheese spreads, baby formula….the list is quite long."

Question: i'm not sure if stomach pain is from soy in the soy milk or the Carrageenan in the milk.? the vegan cheese I bought also has carrageenan so I am afraid to eat it. Is it as much as in the milk or a smaller amount. Anyone else have this problem?

Answer: Carrageenan can cause stomach discomfort especially in people who are allergic to it. Only way to know for sure is to get an allergy test. But you could try soy milk without carrageenan and the results at that point should tell you if it's the soy or the carrageenan. Another thing to consider is the remainder of your diet. If you are eating tofu and/or other "mock" meats made from soy, yet only experience upset after drinking the soy milk, it may very well be the carrageenan.

Question: What's a food with carrageenan in it? What is an example of a food with carrageenan as an ingredient?

Answer: This should give you a good idea. Desserts, ice cream, cream, milk shakes, sweetened condensed milks, sauces: gel to increase viscosity Beer: clarifier to remove haze-causing proteins Pâtés and processed meat: Substitute fat to increase water retention and increase volume Toothpaste: stabilizer to prevent constituents separating Fruit Gushers: ingredient in the encapsulated gel. Fire fighting foam: thickener to cause foam to become sticky Shampoo and cosmetic creams: thickener Air freshener gels Marbling: the ancient art of paper and fabric marbling uses a carrageenan mixture to float paints or inks upon; the paper or fabric is then laid on it, absorbing the colors. Shoe polish: gel to increase viscosity Biotechnology: gel to immobilize cells/enzymes Pharmaceuticals: used as an inactive excipient in pills/tablets Carrageenan: used to thicken skim milk, in an attempt to emulate the consistency of whole milk. This usage did not become popular. It is used in some brands of soy milk Diet sodas Soy milk Pet food Alien saliva (movie effects). Personal lubricants Lambda carrageenan is used in animal models of inflammation used to test analgesics, because dilute carrageenan solution (1–2%) injected subcutaneously causes swelling and pain. Shaving ham sold at restaurants and commercial delis.

Question: Where can one find food-grade carrageenan? Checking online, I've only been able to find the lubricant.

Answer: http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/1143…

Question: Does carrageenan have any calories? I know that it is a dietary thickener derived from seaweed, but does it have any nutritive value? Does it contain calories?

Answer: No, it is considered to be soluble fiber, and not digestible: therefore, no calories.

Question: Are carrageenan, cottonseed oil and disodium guanylate proteins, carbohydrates, lipids or Nucleic Acids?

Answer: I have no idea what carrageenan is, but cottonseed oil is a fat, which would make it a lipid... and proteins are chains of amino acids... I suppose that might translate to nucleic acid?

Question: Does anyone know of hemp, rice, or almond milk without carrageenan?

Answer: I was actually thinking about your question when I visited my fridge, and decided to look at the labels on my almond and soy milk. My almond milk is Blue Diamond, and that has it. But my soy milk is by West Soy (I bought it at Jewel) and it unsweetened almond flavored soy milk, and it doesn't have any. In fact, it doesn't have any ingredients that I cannot pronounce. I would also check Whole Foods brand because I think their would be less likely to contain it as well. I will probably check next time I shop as well because now I am curious..

Question: Carrageenan and Locust Bean Gum? I have a chemistry project that requires me to find the common and scientific name, the chemical formula, structural formula, functional group and formula weight of a chemical. I'm pretty good so far and all I have left are carrageenan and locust bean gum. Can someone help me out?

Answer: Locust Bean Gum :Source : Locust bean gum (E410; also called Carob bean gum and Carubin) is extracted from the seed (kernels) of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). It forms a food reserve for the seeds and helps to retain water under arid conditions. For Structural unit ,Molecular structure , Functionality , please visit :http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/hyloc.html For Refined Carrageenan / Semi-Refined Carrageenan, please visit for details : http://jiechengfood.en.alibaba.com/produ… Carrageenan is a commonly used food additive that is extracted from red seaweed by using powerful alkali solvents. These solvents would remove the tissues and skin from your hands as readily as would any acid. Carrageenan is a thickening agent. It's the vegetarian equivalent of casein, the same protein that is isolated from milk and used to thicken foods. Casein is also used to produce paints, and is the glue used to hold a label to a bottle of beer. Carrageenan is the magic ingredient used to de-ice frozen airplanes sitting on tarmacs during winter storms. http://www.notmilk.com/carageenan.html