Stabilizers & Fibers
Kappa Carrageenan in gelato
Kappa carrageenan (E407) is a sulfated galactan polysaccharide extracted from red seaweed. In gelato it acts as a secondary (auxiliary) stabilizer, reacting with milk casein to prevent wheying-off and controlling ice-crystal growth for a smoother body.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 91% |
| Water | 9% |
| Sugars | 0% |
| Fat | 0% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 0.6% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 0 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 0 |
Typical use: 0.02-0.04% of the total mix as an auxiliary stabilizer; rarely above 0.05%.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Kappa carrageenan is a secondary stabilizer, almost always used alongside primary gums such as locust bean gum, guar or tara. Its key job is preventing serum (whey) separation: the sulfate groups interact with kappa-casein in milk to keep the protein network stable and inhibit water migration, which limits ice-crystal growth and improves melt resistance. It is a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide dosed at fractions of a percent, so it adds essentially no sweetness (POD 0) and does not depress the freezing point (PAC 0); it shapes texture and stability, not the freezing curve. Overdosing makes the mix gummy or gel-like and can cause a sticky mouthfeel, so it is used at trace levels.
Origin & background
Carrageenan takes its name from Carrageen, or Irish moss (Chondrus crispus), a red seaweed harvested along the Irish coast near the village of Carragheen in County Waterford, where it has been boiled with milk to make blancmange-style puddings for centuries. Today the kappa fraction is extracted commercially mainly from cultivated Kappaphycus alvarezii (cottonii) seaweed and is approved as food additive E407.