So not to long ago I was made aware of a chemical compound that has been found more and more in different food variations. Who, of all people, pointed this out to me…my dad! Both he and my mother, who also sent me information on it, have been paying more attention to what is in the food they eat.
Now I know that there is always going to be something bad in every piece of food out there. And we can’t walk on egg shells all the time. But learning about this ingredient made me put on the brakes to a lot of things I’ve been consuming (or at least switching it up). Some of the information can be found at: blog.nutri-living.com.
The blog stated this fact: “Carrageenan is extracted from red seaweed by powerful chemical alkali solvents – capable of removing skin as quick as any acid. It’s used for food thickening and its fat and gelatin qualities. In its natural state it’s healthy; in its processed state, it’s highly antagonistic to humans. It’s the vegetarian equivalent of casein – protein isolated from milk to thicken foods. Carrageenan is the magic ingredient used to de-ice frozen airplanes sitting on tarmacs.” Besides food additive uses, carrageenan is in cosmetics, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, room deodorizers, ulcer medications, petrolatum, and cod liver oil. Predominantly it’s in food preparations as substitute for fat – combining with milk proteins, increases solubility and improves texture. Because of this, it’s used in low-calorie formulations– often combined with gums like locust bean or guar, to improve texture. It’s an indigestible additive.
In order to confirm the de-icing information I spoke with my husband, who is an engineer with military and defense airplanes. He confirmed that the component is used to de-ice planes among other uses of it. He said there is a website that breaks down the components used for such things due to federal mandates. The website also mentioned this interesting fact:
