Carrageenan is a family of linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red seaweeds. There are several varieties of carrageen used in cooking and baking. Kappa-carrageenan is used mostly in breading and batter due to its gelling nature.
All carrageenans are high-molecular-weight polysaccharides made up of repeating galactose units and 3,6 anhydrogalactose (3,6-AG), both sulfated and nonsulfated. The units are joined by alternating alpha 1–3 and beta 1–4 glycosidic linkages.
There are three main commercial classes of carrageenan:
They are widely used in the food and other industries as thickening and stabilizing agents. It extensively applied in food field, medicine, chemical industry for daily supplies, biological chemistry, building paints, textile printing and agriculture.
When used in combination with konjac, locust bean gum and xanthan gum, carrageenan can distinctly alter the gel characteristics and make gel elastic and water retentive.