PLANT-BASED MILK: READ THE LABELS

Familiar with carrageenan?  It might be smart to start avoiding regular consumption of foods containing carrageenan and shop for options made without it.

Carrageenan is a water-soluble fiber extracted from red edible seaweeds. It’s widely used in the food industry, for its gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties, in products like soy milk, ice cream, whipping cream, cream cheese, bakery products, cereals, salad dressings, sauces, and snack foods. It’s also used as a vegetarian and vegan alternative to gelatin in some applications. But why is there concern about carrageenan? Should it be avoided? It might be smart to start avoiding regular consumption of foods containing carrageenan and shop for options made without it.  The Cornucopia Institute has put together a list of foods with and without carrageenan.  View here.

Carrageenan is commonly found in

• plant milks
• coconut water
• diet sodas
• pet food
• vegan hot dogs
• salad dressing
• chocolate
• some infant formulas
• beer
• supplements
• toothpaste

Classified as GRAS by the United States Food and Drug Administration (GRAS stands for “generally recognized as safe”), carrageenan has undergone many long-term dietary studies under defined regulatory conditions en route to its current global regulatory status.

"Carrageenan has been used in thousands of biological experiments over several decades, because it predictably causes inflammation. Inflammation is well-known to be the basis for many human diseases and is associated with over 100 human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and arteriosclerosis, and inflammation is also linked to cancer." - Dr. Joanne Tobacman, MD, addresses the May meeting of the National Organic Standards Board.

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Have you ever made your own plant-based milk?  Here are some easy directions to get started from the BEVEGAN® Recipe Collection.

Plant-Based Milk Movement

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Read the full report from Cornucopia Institute here
http://nutrition.about.com/od/foodadditives/f/What-Is-Carrageenan.htm