Carrageenan (E407) — What You Need to Know
The score is an eNumbers.org editorial summary, not an official agency rating or medical advice. Start with the regulatory status and primary sources below.
What Is Carrageenan?
Carrageenan is a natural polysaccharide extracted from red seaweed (primarily Irish moss). It has been used in food preparation for centuries and is widely used in the modern food industry for its gelling and thickening properties. Despite its natural origin, carrageenan has been one of the most controversial food additives, with researchers and advocacy groups raising concerns about its potential inflammatory effects in the gut.
What Is It Used For?
Thickens and stabilizes dairy products, plant-based milks, infant formula, processed meats, and salad dressings. Creates smooth textures in ice cream and chocolate milk and prevents ingredient separation.
Exposure figures are population-level references, not personal limits. Actual intake varies by diet, product and jurisdiction.
Regulatory & Editorial Context
The safety of carrageenan has been debated since the 1970s. Researcher Joanne Tobacman has published multiple papers suggesting that food-grade carrageenan may cause inflammation, intestinal lesions, and possibly contribute to cancer development. However, the FDA, EFSA, and FAO/WHO have reviewed the evidence and maintain that food-grade carrageenan is safe. They distinguish between food-grade carrageenan and degraded carrageenan (poligeenan), which is a known carcinogen. Carrageenan is banned in EU organic products and US organic foods by the USDA National Organic Program since 2018, though this is based on organic standards rather than safety findings. Some people report digestive issues when consuming carrageenan-containing products.
eNumbers.org currently assigns Carrageenan an editorial context label of Questionable with a score of 4/10. This is 4.2 points below the database average for thickeners (8.2/10). Dataset reference year: 2018.
This score is not issued by EFSA, FDA, WHO or another regulator.
Commonly Found In
Always check the label for E407 or 'Carrageenan'
▶Chemical Information
Primary Sources
Source review: 2026-08-08Official references relevant to this page. Check the agency record for current permitted uses, limits and jurisdiction-specific wording.
- European Commission: EU Food Additives Database ↗EU authorisations and conditions of use
- WHO / FAO JECFA: JECFA food-additives database ↗International evaluations and acceptable daily intakes
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Food Additive Status List ↗U.S. food-ingredient regulatory references
- European Food Safety Authority: Food additives ↗EFSA food-additive safety assessment process
Frequently Asked Questions about Carrageenan
Quick Facts
- E-Number
- E407
- INS Number
- 407
- Category
- Thickeners
- Origin
- Natural
- FDA Status
- GRAS (not permitted in organic foods per USDA NOP)
- EFSA Status
- Authorized (not permitted in infant formula)
- ADI
- No limit (food grade) mg/kg bw/day
- Dataset Review
- 2018
Carriers, processing aids and product certification can change suitability. Verify the final label and certifier.
Quick Links
Related Additives
Other thickeners in the same family