Because of the mix up between poligeenan and carrageenan, many people were made to believe that these food additives are harmful. However, the truth is that the former is the degraded form while the latter is the food grade. This means that the two are not equal and comparing them is not a fair judgment.
For reference and clarifications, several scientists and experts have conducted studies to prove that these two are not the same. We will get to know these experts and what they had to say including the studies they did to prove just that.
In 1969, two experts namely Marcus and Watt conducted a study about the two types of seaweed food additive. Their studies show that the two forms of food additive are actually two different things. They each had their singular component which makes them different from the other.
Poligeenan is about 20,000 daltons when we talk about molecular weight. Carrageenan has a molecular weight of 10,000 daltons. Furthermore, the former form do not have the same food functions that the latter one has.
Many other studies were conducted and it has been proven that carrageenan is safe compared to the poligeenan. More and more studies have been conducted to prove the difference between the two. And it was finally proven that there is huge difference between them.
Further studies were conducted by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. They have tested the additive on several animals and results show that the animals have acquired some gastrointestinal disorders. However, their studies also show that the food additive ingested by the animals is not the food grade form but the degraded form. This further clarifies the mix up between poligeenan, the degraded form and the food grade, form.
This is why it is just right to say that the food grade is really safe.