Carrageenans or carrageenins (with a hard g) are a family of linear sulphated polysaccharides extracted from red seaweeds. The name's derived from a type of seaweed that's abundant along the Irish coastline. Gelatinous extracts of the Chondrus crispus seaweed have been used as food additives for hundreds of years, though analysis of carrageenan safety as an additive continues. Properties Carrageenans are large, highly flexible molecules which curl forming helical structures. This gives them th… (More on Carrageenan)