Is Gellan Gum Safer than Carrageenan ？
Both Gellan Gum and Carrageenan are edible colloids whose safety has been globally recognized, and they are widely used as food additives. Many authoritative institutions have confirmed that there are no safety risks when they are used within the prescribed dosage.
However, there are still some differences between the two in terms of certain safety indicators, which can provide certain reference opinions for the selection of food additives for specific groups of people.
1.Gastrointestinal irritation
Intestinal irritation is a relatively important indicator in the safety comparison between Gellan Gum and Carrageenan, as there is a significant difference between the two in this aspect.
Carrageenan
Relevant experiments suggest that degraded carrageenan may induce intestinal inflammation and is considered a harmful substance. However, food-grade carrageenan, which cannot be absorbed by the human body, has been evaluated by authoritative institutions such as EFSA/FDA, and it is determined that there is no risk of intestinal inflammation when consumed within the limited dosage. Note: Some patients with gastrointestinal inflammation may experience diarrhea, abdominal distension and other problems after consuming carrageenan.
Gellan Gum
So far, there have been no research reports on Gellan Gum causing intestinal inflammation or diseases. This edible gum is more friendly to the human body and less likely to cause intestinal-related diseases when consumed normally. Note: When the intake of Gellan Gum exceeds the safe standard dose, it may cause side effects such as diarrhea.
2. Dosage of Additives
Neither carrageenan nor gellan gum is involved in blood sugar metabolism. However, gellan gum has a better gel effect, so less of it is needed as an additive in daily use. Carrageenan is added in larger amounts in the diet, so it is less safe than gellan gum.
3. Regulatory Attitude
Gellan Gum is widely approved as the E418 food additive worldwide without any usage restrictions, while Carrageenan is the E407 food additive globally. In recent years, due to potential risks in intestinal effects, the food safety authorities in Europe and America are re-evaluating its safety.
Why is there a safety controversy over carrageenan?
Degraded carrageenan
The crux of the dispute lies in the degradation of carrageenan, which has been identified as a carcinogen and is prohibited from use in food. Although food-grade carrageenan is safe, there is a perception that stomach acid might cause undegraded carrageenan to break down in the body, posing health risks.
Undegraded carrageenan
Inflammation induction:
A large number of animal experiments have shown that undegraded carrageenan can increase inflammatory factors within cells and may induce inflammatory effects.
Intestinal damage:
Multiple studies have shown that undigested carrageenan may damage intestinal epithelial cells, leading to harmful substances damaging intestinal tissues.
Why is Gellan Gum safer?
1. A large number of toxicological studies have shown that even when used in high doses, Gellan Gum does not pose any safety risks to the human body. It cannot be absorbed by the human body and does not participate in metabolic functions, and is non-toxic.
2. As a soluble dietary fiber, Gellan Gum can be fermented by beneficial bacteria in the intestines, generating short-chain fatty acids that are beneficial to the intestines.
3. Since its approval for use in the 1980s, Gellan Gum has never raised safety concerns like carrageenan.