Carrageenan: a safe additive.

As the general secretary of Marinalg International, an association representing the worldwide producers of carrageenan, I would like to comment on Tobacman’s review article in EHP (1). Authorities worldwide have extensively reviewed carrageenan safety. Contrary to Tobacman’s conclusion (1), all of these authorities agree that carrageenan may be used safely in food. As recently as June 2001, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA; an independent international panel of expert scientists and government authorities) concluded a multiple year review of all of the relevant safety data on carrageenan (2). This included a specific analysis of the potential for promotion of colon cancer by carrageenan. The JECFA affirmed their earlier conclusion on the safety of carrageenan [e.g., (3)]—that it may be used safely in the diet at amounts only limited by the amount necessary to achieve its technical function. Overall, the carrageenan sold as a food, drug, and cosmetic additive has been tested extensively, and regulatory authorities worldwide have uniformly found carrageenan to be essentially nontoxic and agreed that it may be used safely in food.