E407 · CAS 9000-07-1

Carrageenan

Carrageenan is a family of sulphated linear polysaccharides extracted from several species of red seaweed in the class Rhodophyceae. Commercial sources are dominated by Kappaphycus alvarezii, Eucheuma denticulatum, and Chondrus crispus.

The polymer backbone is built from alternating 1,3-linked D-galactose and 1,4-linked 3,6-anhydro-D-galactose units. Three principal types are recognised by their sulphate content and gelling behaviour: kappa, iota, and lambda.

We source bulk Carrageenan from top China manufacturers for our partners, working with several of them. The manufacturers are mostly in Fujian, Guangdong and Shandong. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.

Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.

or call +86-21-6858 0751

Packaging: 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner

ISO 9001
HACCP
Halal
Kosher

Specifications

Item	Specification
Appearance	White to yellowish powder
Purity/Assay (Food Grade)	≥ 75%
Purity/Assay (Feed Grade)	≥ 70%
Viscosity (Food Grade)	1000-2000 cP
Viscosity (Feed Grade)	800-1500 cP
Moisture/Loss on Drying	≤ 15%
pH	6.0 - 8.0
Particle Size/Mesh	80 mesh
Ash	≤ 10%
Heavy Metals	≤ 10 ppm
Lead	≤ 2 ppm
Arsenic	≤ 1 ppm
Total Plate Count	≤ 1000 cfu/g
Yeast & Mold	≤ 100 cfu/g

Common Markets Grades

Carrageenan is segmented chiefly by extraction type and by gelling fraction.

Refined carrageenan (E407) is obtained by full alcohol or potassium chloride precipitation, giving a clear, low-impurity powder for premium beverage, dairy, and pharmaceutical use.

Semi-refined carrageenan (E407a, also known as PNG or PES) keeps the cell-wall residue intact. It is the volume product for meat processing, pet food, and some dairy applications where slight opacity is acceptable.

Within each extraction type, kappa fractions give firm brittle gels, iota gives soft elastic gels, and lambda gives non-gelling viscous solutions for dairy thickening.

Blends of kappa with locust bean gum go into cooked-ham gels, and kappa-iota blends serve dessert and dairy categories.

Applications

Cooked hams, deli meats, and poultry injection brines for water binding
Chocolate milk and dairy beverages for cocoa suspension and body
Ice cream and dairy desserts for texture and meltdown control
Yogurt, sour cream, and cottage cheese for syneresis control
Infant formula and clinical nutrition as a stabiliser at low dose
Plant milks and dairy alternatives for body and mouthfeel
Confectionery jellies and aerated gummies with elastic bite
Pet food jellies, gravies, and chunked-meat formats
Toothpaste binders and pharmaceutical oral suspensions
Air-freshener gels and industrial gel formats

Brands Using Carrageenan

Widely-distributed consumer products that list Carrageenan on the ingredient label.

Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.

China Manufacturers of Carrageenan

Top Carrageenan manufacturers in China.

Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.

How We Help Source Carrageenan

Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Carrageenan out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Carrageenan together with other ingredients such as Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Agar Agar and Konjac Gum into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.

Regulatory Status

Carrageenan is approved as a food additive in essentially all regulated markets.

Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 lists it as E407 (refined) and E407a (semi-refined) in the European Union. The U.S. FDA permits carrageenan under 21 CFR 172.620 and as a stabiliser under several other sections.

JECFA reviewed carrageenan in 2014 and considered safety adequate at typical use levels including infant formula, with continued monitoring of low-molecular-weight fractions.

Halal, Kosher, vegan, and non-GMO certifications are routinely available. Aquaculture seaweed origin is increasingly subject to sustainability and supply-chain audits.

Manufacturing Process

Carrageenan Manufacturing Process

Loading process diagram…

Farmed seaweed is sun-dried on the beach and shipped in bales to extraction plants in the Philippines, Indonesia, Chile, France, and China.

Refined production cooks the seaweed in dilute alkali, filters the hot extract to remove cell-wall debris, and recovers the polymer by alcohol precipitation or potassium chloride gel-press. The fibrous mass is dried and milled.

Semi-refined production cooks intact seaweed pieces in alkaline potassium hydroxide, which removes most non-gel material in solution while leaving the carrageenan in place. The chips are then washed, dried, and milled into PES powder.

The choice of source species drives type: Kappaphycus gives kappa, Eucheuma denticulatum gives iota, and Chondrus gives a kappa-lambda mix.