If you’re new to our work, let us introduce you to carrageenan, a dangerous ingredient in our food system.
If you aren’t new and you’re one of the many people who know the health risks all too well, we have some good news: The science has caught up with consumer experiences. Thousands of studies indicate that carrageenan causes or contributes to inflammation.
Cornucopia has been busy these past several years tracking the science. With the USDA National Organic Standards Board’s upcoming vote on whether carrageenan should continue to be allowed in organic foods, we are ready. You can count on us to ask, once again, for its removal from all organic food. Needless to say (unless the audience is USDA), carrageenan does not meet organic’s high standards.
To the thousands of people who we’ve been in touch with regarding this battle: We aren’t giving up. Cornucopia will continue to advocate vigorously to rid the organic marketplace of this harmful ingredient. Read more about how we’re showing up for organic eaters.
Now we need your help: Tell NOSB today that carrageenan is a dangerous food additive and should not be allowed in organic food! The deadline to submit written comments is 11:59 p.m. ET Oct. 1.
Make your comment count
Your comments can make a difference! Keep in mind:
- Get personal. If your health has improved after removing carrageenan from your diet, detail your journey. If you specifically seek out organic food for health reasons, share that as well. Your comments underscore the human cost of this vote.
- Ask your medical practitioners to comment, particularly if they have previously recommended the removal of carrageenan from your diet. If you are a doctor or nutritionist who recommends patients avoid carrageenan, your input is especially valuable!
- Remind USDA that organic food is often the first choice for eaters because it is considered safer – carrageenan cuts against that.
- Emphasize that carrageenan isn’t always clearly stated on ingredient panels and is therefore difficult to avoid. Share specific examples of how this has negatively impacted your life.
Other pointers
- Include reference docket # AMS-NOP-26-0892 somewhere in your comment (ideally at the start of or as a title to your comment).
- Use your own words as much as possible, rather than copy-pasting text form another source.
- Visit the federal government’s Commenting Guidance page to read about considerations and criteria for writing impactful comments, such as how to structure a comment and what information is most helpful to include.
Ready to comment? Get started
- Submit feedback on the NOSB Subcommittee proposals via Regulations.gov. (Docket # AMS-NOP-26-0892).
- At this site you can access information about the NOSB meeting where carrageenan will be discussed. Under the Notice for the meeting, choose the “Comment Button”
- From the comment page you can either directly type (or copy-paste) your comment into the box provided or attach a separate document containing you comment to the page.
- Include the docket number (# AMS-NOP-26-0892) somewhere in your comment.
- You can also go directly to the comment page for the NOSB meeting.
Want to learn about carrageenan before commenting?
- Carrageenan is pervasive. If you’re a label reader, you’ll note it in dairy products, plant-based dairy alternatives, and other foods as a gelling agent and emulsifier. Or … you won’t see it all. When used as a processing aid, carrageenan isn’t even listed as an ingredient!
- This lack of transparency can gravely impact quality of life for anyone trying to avoid the pain and digestive suffering it can cause. Carrageenan is particularly harrowing for people with Alpha-gal Syndrome, a tickborne disease growing in prevalence. Carrageenan can trigger Alpha-gal’s hallmark allergic reactions, which can include anaphylaxis.
- Research into the human health effects of food grade carrageenan has continued to expand rapidly since the last time carrageenan was reviewed by the NOSB and the NOP. Check out Cornucopia’s Carrageenan research page for the current science and a deep dive into how some studies have been tainted by researcher bias.)
