Reviewed by Jessie, BSc Biomedical Science · Formulation Lead, Purest Kids
TL;DR — Carrageenan is a polysaccharide from red seaweed, used in plant-based softgel shells as a gelling agent. The safety debate centres on degraded poligeenan (not food-grade carrageenan) in animal studies. Human and regulatory reviews find food-grade carrageenan safe at typical intake. The amount in a softgel is small and consumed, not applied to skin.
What carrageenan is
Carrageenan is a polysaccharide — a type of carbohydrate — extracted from red seaweed. It has been used as a food additive and stabilising agent for decades. In supplement manufacturing, carrageenan is used in plant-based softgel shells as a gelling agent — it is one of the primary alternatives to gelatin that allows manufacturers to produce softgels without animal-derived ingredients.
It appears in Purest Kids Omega-3 Mango Burstlets as a component of the plant-based softgel shell.
The carrageenan debate
Carrageenan has been the subject of online health debate, primarily driven by a distinction between two forms: food-grade carrageenan and degraded carrageenan (also called poligeenan). Degraded carrageenan — which is produced by treating carrageenan with acid at high temperatures — has been shown to cause intestinal inflammation in animal studies and is not approved for use in food.
Food-grade carrageenan, which is what appears in food and supplement products, is a different substance. It is not degraded and has a different molecular structure. The evidence that food-grade carrageenan causes harm in humans at the concentrations found in food products is not established. The European Food Safety Authority reviewed carrageenan safety in 2018 and confirmed it as safe for use in food, including in infant formula.
What the regulatory bodies say
Carrageenan has GRAS (Generally Recognised As Safe) status in the United States. It is approved for use in the EU, including in foods for infants and young children (subject to maximum levels). The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives has reviewed carrageenan multiple times and assigned it an acceptable daily intake of "not specified" — indicating no safety concern at typical dietary levels.
The amount in a softgel
The quantity of carrageenan in a single softgel shell is very small — it is a structural component of the shell, not an ingredient present in the oil filling. Daily exposure from one burstlet is a fraction of what would be encountered in a typical serving of dairy products, deli meats, or infant formula where carrageenan is commonly used.
Omega-3 Mango Burstlets — full ingredient list, every component disclosed →
References
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives. "Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (E 407a) as food additives." EFSA Journal, 2018.
- Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. "Evaluation of certain food additives." WHO Technical Report Series, 2015.
- McKim JM. "Food-grade carrageenan: evaluating potential biological impacts of prolonged exposure in the gastrointestinal tract." Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2014.