Application in dairy products

Carrageenan reacts with casein to form a stable, weak gel network, providing suspension and stabilization, and imparting a rich mouthfeel to the beverage. For example, in cocoa milk made with cocoa powder, the cocoa powder often precipitates. Adding carrageenan as a stabilizer allows the cocoa powder to be evenly dispersed in the milk, preventing the cocoa powder from settling. Therefore, carrageenan is a suspending and stabilizing agent for dairy beverages.

Applications in cold drinks

In cold drinks and ice cream, carrageenan is compounded with other hydrocolloids such as guar gum, CMC, or xanthan gum to form a stabilizer, which can increase the thickness. Carrageenan complexes with proteins to improve the stability of ice cream under temperature fluctuations, increase the shaping and melt resistance of ice cream, prevent whey separation, improve the foaming properties of the product, form small and stable bubbles, control ice crystal formation, prevent ice cream shrinkage, improve taste, and enhance quality.

Applications in jelly

Carrageenan is the primary gelling agent in jellies and puddings. When combined with additives such as locust bean gum or konjac gum, and potassium chloride, it forms an elastic, refreshing gel with excellent flavor release. By adding fruit juice, fruit pulp, edible flavorings, or dairy products, a wide variety of jellies and puddings can be produced. Jellies made with carrageenan are very stable at room temperature and have good water retention, ensuring consistent product quality throughout the shelf life.

Applications in beer production

Carrageenan can be used as a clarifying agent in beer production. Beer contains some colloidal substances and some soluble proteins that can cause turbidity or precipitation, so a clarifying agent must be added to remove them. By utilizing the interaction between carrageenan and proteins, the addition of carrageenan can cause these substances to rapidly aggregate and precipitate. Carrageenan used as a beer wort clarifying agent is processed from seaweed using the method for producing crude carrageenan, and then crushed into granules or powder. The addition of carrageenan as a clarifying agent for beer is simple to operate, has a short production cycle, is low in cost, and can effectively stabilize the beer foam.

Applications in meat products

Carrageenan plays a significant role in meat processing. In meat processing, a large amount of soluble protein is dissolved out of the meat after low-temperature curing. By utilizing the mechanism of interaction between carrageenan and protein, the addition of carrageenan can improve the shaping of meat-based products such as sausages or canned meats, making the sliced ham products complete, elastic, smooth and tender. It is an indispensable additive in meat processing today.

Applications in pet food, daily chemical products, and pharmaceutical excipients

The applications of carrageenan are not limited to the food industry. Currently, carrageenan is also used in toothpaste, where it prevents separation between the effective liquid phase and the solid abrasive in toothpaste, giving the paste a fragile thixotropic structure and easy-to-rinse properties. Carrageenan is also used in cosmetics to prevent water-oil separation, improve spreadability, and increase water retention. In addition, carrageenan is used in medicinal capsules, air fresheners, biochemical immobilization carriers, pet food, and more.