<P> Carrageenans or carrageenins (/ ˌkærəˈɡiːnənz / karr - ə - gee - nənz, from Irish carraigín, "little rock") are a family of linear sulfated polysaccharides that are extracted from red edible seaweeds . They are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties . Their main application is in dairy and meat products, due to their strong binding to food proteins . There are three main varieties of carrageenan, which differ in their degree of sulfation . Kappa - carrageenan has one sulfate group per disaccharide, iota - carrageenan has two, and lambda - carrageenan has three . </P> <P> Gelatinous extracts of the Chondrus crispus (Irish moss) seaweed have been used as food additives since approximately the fifteenth century . Carrageenan is a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin in some applications or may be used to replace gelatin in confectionery . </P>

Which type of algae do carrageenans come from