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Sodium Alginate
Sodium Alginate
Sodium Alginate
What is it:
Sodium alginate is a natural polysaccharide derived from seaweed, particularly brown algae. It’s widely used in the food industry as a thickener, stabilizer, and gelling agent. Production of sodium alginate typically involves harvesting and cleaning seaweed, followed by extraction of the alginate using an alkaline solution. After extraction, the alginate solution is treated with sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide to convert it into sodium alginate. Sodium alginate is commonly found in ice cream, salad dressings, and processed meats to provide texture and stability.
Rating:
Sodium alginate is a naturally occurring component of brown algae that has been associated with improving acid reflux in children. It has not demonstrated any adverse health effects, however, research is limited on its use in food. It can be an eye and lung irritant.
Resources:
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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