E 407 CARRAGEENAN

Commission Directive 2004/45/EC

Synonyms Products of commerce are sold under different names such as:

Irish moss gelose

Eucheuman (from Eucheuma spp.)

Iridophycan (from Irdidaea spp.)

Hypnean (from Hypnea spp.)

Furcellaran or Danish agar (from Furcellaria fastigiata)

Carrageenan (from Chondrus and Gigartina spp.)

Definition Carrageenan is obtained by aqueous extraction of natural strains of seaweeds of Gigartinaceae, Solieriaceae, Hypneaceae and Furcellar iaceae, families of the class Rhodophyceae (red seaweeds). No organic precipitant shall be used other than methanol, ethanol and propane-2-ol. Carrageenan consists chiefly of the potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium salts of polysaccharide sulphate esters which, on hydrolysis, yield galactose and 3,6-anhydrogalactose. Carrageenan shall not be hydrolysed or otherwise chemically degraded

Einecs 232-524-2

Description Yellowish to colourless, coarse to fine powder which is practically odourless

Identification

A. Positive tests for galactose, for anhydrogalactose and for sulphate

Purity

Methanol, ethanol propane-2-ol content Not more than 0,1 % singly or in combination

Viscosity of a 1,5 % solution at 75 °C Not less than 5 mPa.s

Loss on drying Not more than 12 % (105 °C, 4 hours)

Sulphate Not less than 15 % and not more than 40 % on the anhydrous basis (asSO4)

Ash Not less than 15 % and not more than 40 % determined on the anhydrous basis at 550 °C

Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 1 % on the anhydrous basis (insoluble in 10 % hydrochloric acid)

Acid-insoluble matter Not more than 2 % on the anhydrous basis (insoluble in 1 % v/v sulphuric acid)

Low molecular weight carrageenan (Molecular weight fraction below 50kd) Not more than 5%

Arsenic Not more than 3 mg/kg

Lead Not more than 5 mg/kg

Mercury Not more than 1 mg/kg

Cadmium Not more than 1 mg/kg

Total plate count Not more than 5 000 colonies per gram

Yeast and moulds Not more than 300 colonies per gram

E. coli Negative in 5 g

Salmonella spp. Negative in 10 g