Search Results for: carrageenan

Our Letter to Costco Regarding Carrageenan

A little girl drinking from a glass of chocolate milk with a straw

In 2021, Cornucopia asked its supporters to stand up for the safety and integrity of the organic label by imploring Costco to remove carrageenan from its organic store-brand chocolate milk and soy beverages. More than 1,200 people responded — organic advocates who took time of their lives to print, sign, and mail in pleas for us to… Read more »

Guide to Avoiding Carrageenan in Organic Food

Use this guide to avoid carrageenan in organic food. (Watch our video on how to use the guide.) Please note, since carrageen is only used in certain food categories, we’ve only reviewed organic products that commonly contain carrageenan. Search by brand or product category using the search bar at the top right. And use the… Read more »

Help Remove Carrageenan From Organic

At its fall 2021 meeting, the NOSB decided to keep carrageenan on the list of substances allowed in organic food for another five years. This vote came despite the additive’s known health impacts and the inability of consumers to reliably identify or avoid it in organic food (since it need not always appear on labels)…. Read more »

Tell Costco to Remove Carrageenan from Organic Products!

Organic foods must conform to a higher standard than other foods, according to the Organic Foods Production Act. Yet carrageenan is still found in many foods, including some certified organic foods. Since 2011, when Cornucopia began investigating the use of carrageenan in organics, many companies have chosen to reformulate their products, replacing carrageenan and often… Read more »

Researcher Bias and the Carrageenan Controversy

Is carrageenan bad for you? When considering the answer to that question, it’s useful to follow the money. For example, industry consultant TOXpertise, LLC has painted research pointing to the potential health risks of this controversial food additive as faulty science. However, the company’s analyses were funded by FMC Corporation, which has “over 60 years of experience in the development and production of carrageenan products…” Yet in… Read more »

Carrageenan Report and Buyer’s Guide

Carrageenan is a problematic ingredient propped up by a well-oiled public relations machine. The Cornucopia Institute has long compiled scientific studies that raise troubling concerns about the consumption of food-grade carrageenan. Although referred to as a “natural” ingredient, carrageenan is linked to gastrointestinal inflammation and disease, including higher rates of colon cancer, in research using… Read more »

How Cornucopia has Fought to Remove Carrageenan from Organic Foods

Carrageenan predictably causes inflammation in thousands of cell-based and animal experiments, yet it remains allowed in organic food. Why? The history of carrageenan in organic food is a story of industry influence and illustrates the political limitations of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB).   The Cornucopia Institute has been tracking research and working with scientists to study the inflammatory effects of carrageenan for more than nine years. Though the Food and Drug… Read more »

Avoiding Carrageenan? Strengthen our Case to the NOSB

Explainer

The USDA National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will soon review (once again!) the use of carrageenan in organic foods. On the table: whether to remove this controversial ingredient from organic food. With your help, we can ensure that decision is based on the full spectrum of organic stakeholder input—not just political pressure driven by industrial… Read more »

What’s the Controversy Over Carrageenan?

Why is there controversy over carrageenan? Controversy over the popular additive is longstanding in the organic marketplace. Brands love this cheap additive because they believe it improves consumer satisfaction. But carrageenan poses a hidden risk: both consumer testimonials and current research show that carrageenan can cause serious inflammation when consumed. What is carrageenan? Carrageenan is a widely used food additive that is extracted from certain types of red seaweed. Carrageenan is a common processing aid in… Read more »

What Organic Eaters Need to Know About Carrageenan

Photo courtesy of AdobeStock Gayle Sudit had reached a medical standstill. After a diagnosis of proctitis that escalated into ulcerative colitis, her symptoms persisted, despite the prescriptions she filled for months.   Her gastroenterologist recommended an elimination diet (standard for someone with her diagnosis), which only exacerbated her symptoms, even making her late for work several times.  In 2014, she found The Cornucopia Institute’s research on… Read more »