Ingredients Solutions Inc., a supplier of carrageenan to the food industry, is fighting back against misconceptions against the product. Along with pseudo-scientific attacks on carrageenan and social media pressure against companies that use it in their products, carrageenan is now being reviewed by the National Organics Standards Boards to decide if it will continue to be listed as organic allowed.

The NOSB is accepting comment submissions from the public until April 14, and ISI is calling on those who are aware of the real science of carrageenan and who know it to be safe to add their comments.

Right now submissions can be made to NOSB at www.regulations.gov to make comments as to why Carrageenan should stay on this list. Please go to the website; in the “Search Bar” please type “AMS-NOP-15-0085”. You will then see a button that says “Comments.” Click on this and submit your comments.

ISI has provided a list of bullet points supporting the continued use of carrageenan, which include:

Remaining Organic

• Has been approved for a decade or more for use in organic foods
• Nothing has changed to alter the organic status of carrageenan
• Minimally processed (extracted) from organically grown red seaweed
• Non-GMO, gluten free, allergen-free

Safe for Human Consumption

• Determined to be safe for use in human foods by all major food regulation authorities: FDA, International Agency on Food Additives, the UN Food & Agriculture Organization, WHO, USA, EU, Japan, Brazil to name a few
• Safety proven once again by 2015 immature pig feeding studies.
• Studies led WHO to approve its use in liquid infant formula, a very sensitive application both technically and politically.

Essential Organic Additive

• Principle applications are stabilizing and providing texture to processed foods
• Specific foods are dairy products such as ice cream and chocolate milk and meat products such as deli ham and turkey.
• By combining with protein in foods carrageenan is a very cost effective organic additive.
• Substitute additives are more expensive to use, provide less stability and poorer texture
• Is kosher and Halal
• Meets the requirement of vegans and vegetarians
• Carrageenan is a soluble fiber which gets excreted by binding to protein in the diet.
• Farming of carrageenan seaweeds in SE Asia is done organically: no fertilizer or pesticides, takes place in open ocean away from cities and manufacturing.
• Seaweed farming actually provides employment to over 100,000 where there is only marginal employment otherwise.
• Sustainable product
• Health Benefit – can aid in reducing fat and sodium
• Stability and shelf life minimize waste and help fight world hunger

“There is no scientific evidence known to Ingredients Solutions Inc. that would require your company to abandon using carrageenan in your product because of safety concerns,” the company said. “Likewise, there is no reason for you or your company to stop developing new products with carrageenan as an ingredient based on safety issues. Of course consumer concerns, no matter how ill-founded, must be considered, and the carrageenan industry is trying to get ahead of the bloggers with a positive PR program.”

More information about carrageenan can be found on ISI’s website at http://www.isi.us.com/carrageenan-versatile-safe-food-ingredient/.