Carrageenan in dog food: what it is and is it safe?

Carrageenan shows up on some wet dog food labels. You may have read scary things about it online. Here is what it is and what the experts say.

What is carrageenan in dog food?

Carrageenan, a thickener made from red seaweed, is used in some wet food. It turns gravy into jelly. It helps a loaf hold its shape. It is pulled out of the seaweed with water, then cleaned. The same stuff is allowed in people food too.

The US rule says carrageenan is made from red seaweed by pulling it out with water. It is a kind of sugar chain with sulfate on it. EU experts describe it the same way. They say it comes from seaweed in the red seaweed group.

Why is carrageenan in wet dog food?

It changes how the food feels. It makes the food thick. It helps it set like jelly. It keeps the food from coming apart in the can.

EU experts checked how well it works in pet food. They found it works to gel, thicken and hold canned pet food together. In the EU, it is filed under stabilisers, thickeners and gelling agents.

Want to know more about how the two kinds of food differ? See wet vs dry dog food.

Is carrageenan safe for dogs?

EU experts have looked at it for pets twice. The second time, they found one kind safe for dogs up to a set amount in wet food. The first time, they did not have enough data to decide. So for that kind, the answer is yes, within limits. That is based on the tests done so far.

In 2023, EU experts found semi-refined carrageenan safe for dogs at up to 6,000 mg per kg of wet food. For cats, the safe amount they set was lower, at 750 mg per kg of wet food. Cats got a lower cap because there was no cat data.

That finding was based on a test in dogs. It fed 30 beagles for 28 days. Dogs fed ten times the safe amount lost some weight. The experts said the additive bound up some of the food. So less of it got used.

In 2022, EU experts looked at both kinds, refined and semi-refined. They said there was not enough data to judge if either is safe for pets. That does not mean they found harm. They just did not have enough to go on.

Is it allowed in EU pet food? In 2023, EU experts said it was allowed for now while the EU checks it again.

If your dog has a gut problem, ask your vet.

What is poligeenan, and is it the same thing?

No. Poligeenan is carrageenan that has been broken down on purpose. It is made with strong acid and high heat. It has much smaller parts. The EU does not allow it in food. The cancer results in rats were for this form, not the food kind.

EU experts say poligeenan is made with strong acid at over 80°C. Its parts are about 10 to 20 kDa in size, while food carrageenan is about 200 to 800 kDa. In plain words, the food kind is made of chains that are ten or more times longer. Poligeenan is not allowed as a food additive.

The rules also cap the small bits in the food kind. Food carrageenan may have no more than 5% of its parts under 50 kDa. The same cap is in the spec for the pet food kind.

Does carrageenan cause cancer?

IARC, the cancer arm of the World Health Organization, looked at both forms. It put them in different groups. It says the broken-down form, poligeenan, is possibly a cancer risk for people. It says the food kind cannot be sorted either way. That is based on tests in animals.

IARC puts degraded carrageenan (poligeenan) in Group 2B and native carrageenan in Group 3. Group 2B means “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” Group 3 means “not classifiable.”

The rat tests are why. In four rat studies, the broken-down form was linked to cancer of the colon or rectum each time. The native kind showed no sign of causing cancer in rats and hamsters. There were no studies in people to judge.

What do the rules for people food say?

The US and the EU both allow carrageenan in people food. The EU has asked for more data. The US rule lets food makers use only what they need to thicken food.

The FDA says it may be used in the amount needed to thicken food or keep it mixed. In the EU, it is known as E 407. EU experts kept its daily limit for people at 75 mg per kg of body weight. But they called that limit temporary and asked for better data within five years.

How can you spot carrageenan on a label?

Look at the ingredient list. The word to look for is carrageenan.

For a full walk through the label, see how to read a dog food label. Other vague words on the list are worth a look too, like natural flavor.

If you want to check a label fast, you can scan it with Altie.