Because it comes from seaweed, carrageenan is vegan, and it is one of the ingredients that makes plant milks and dairy-free desserts behave like the originals. It has drawn debate over digestive effects, which is a separate question from whether it is animal-derived. On the vegan test, it passes.
Agar (agar-agar, E406)Agar is the vegan answer to gelatin, a firm jelly set from seaweed. It has been doing this job in Asian kitchens for a very long time.
Alginate (algin, E401 to E404)Alginate is seaweed turned into a gelling powder, the trick behind those little juice pearls. It is plant-based from the tide up.
Xanthan gum (E415)Xanthan gum is a thickener grown by bacteria on sugar. It is almost always vegan, with a rare asterisk over what the bacteria were fed.
Frequently asked
Is E407 vegan?
Yes. E407 is carrageenan, extracted from red seaweed, so it is plant-based and vegan.
Is carrageenan the same as agar?
Both are seaweed extracts used to gel and thicken, but they come from different seaweeds and behave differently. Both are vegan.
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