Carrageenan

If you think that organic foods are completely safe and additive free, YOU ARE WRONG! I have found that there is a substance in organics that we don't want. Carrageenan. Carrageenan is a substance extracted from red and purple seaweeds. It is used as a thickener in some dairy products and PROCESSED FOODS!

Food Brands with Carrageenan:

Organic Dairy

 

Buttermilk with Carrageenan Buttermilk without Carrageenan
(Organic buttermilk producers that used to add carrageenan have reformulated their products to be carrageenan-free)
  • Butterworks Farm
  • Clover Stornetta
  • Hawthorne Valley
  • Kalona Supernatural
  • Natural By Nature
  • Organic Valley
Chocolate Milk With Carrageenan Chocolate Milk without Carrageenan
  • Clover Stornetta
  • Horizon
  • Kalona Supernatural (Kalona had committed to removing carrageenan by the end of 2012. As of February 2013, they have not. Check ingredients list)
  • Kirkland (Costco Brand)
  • Natural By Nature
  • Organic Valley
  • Publix
  • Castle Rock Organic Farms
  • Crystal Ball Farms
  • Equal Exchange Hot Chocolate (powdered)
  • Strafford Organic Creamery
  • Thomas Organic Creamery
  • Trickling Springs Creamery
Cottage Cheese with Carrageenan Cottage Cheese without Carrageenan
  • 365 Whole Foods (lowfat and fat free)
  • Cabot Vermont Style
  • Clover Stornetta
  • Horizon (regular and lowfat)
  • Publix
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Kalona Supernatural (regular and lowfat)
  • Nancy’s
  • Organic Valley (regular and lowfat)
Cream with Carrageenan Cream without Carrageenan
  • Cabot
  • Clover Stornetta (whipped cream in a can)
  • Horizon
  • Natural by Nature (whipped cream in a can)
  • Organic Valley (Ultra Pasteurized)
  • Publix
  • Stonyfield (Ultra Pasteurized)
  • Butterworks Farm
  • Cedar Summit Farm
  • Clover Stornetta
  • Kalona Supernatural
  • Natural By Nature (heavy cream)
  • Organic Valley (Pasteurized)
  • Strauss Family Creamery
  • Trickling Springs Creamery
Eggnog with Carrageenan Eggnog without Carrageenan
  • Clover Stornetta
  • Horizon
  • Kalona Supernatural
  • Strauss Family Creamery
  • Organic Valley
Ice Cream with Carrageenan Ice Cream without Carrageenan
  • Julie’s (Mocha Java only – Julie’s is reformulating their only product containing carrageenan which will be carrageenan-free in the fall of 2013)
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Alden’s
  • Ben and Jerry’s Organic
  • Castle Rock Organic Farms
  • Crystal Ball Farms
  • Green and Black’s Organic
  • Julie’s (all flavors except Mocha Java)
  • Publix
  • Stonyfield
  • Strafford Organic Creamery
  • Strauss Family Creamery
  • Three Twins
Kefir with Carrageenan Kefir without Carrageenan
No organic kefir found with carrageenan – carrageenan is sometimes used in conventional kefir
  • Butterworks Farm
  • Cedar Summit (pourable yogurt)
  • Fresh Made
  • Helios
  • Lifeway
  • Nancy’s
  • Organic Pastures
  • Organic Valley (pourable yogurt)
Shelf-Stable Milk with Carrageenan (“milk boxes”) Shelf-Stable Milk without Carrageenan (“milk boxes”)
  • Horizon (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry flavors)
  • Organic Valley (chocolate flavored)
  • President’s Choice
  • Horizon (lowfat)
  • Organic Valley (regular, lowfat, strawberry flavored, vanilla)
Sour Cream with Carrageenan Sour Cream without Carrageenan
  • Horizon (lowfat)
  • Natural By Nature
  • Publix
  • 365 Whole Foods
  • Clover Stornetta
  • Horizon (regular only)
  • Kalona Supernatural
  • Organic Valley (regular and lowfat)
  • Nancy’s
  • Strauss Family Creamery
  • Wallaby Organic
Yogurt with Carrageenan Yogurt without Carrageenan
  • Horizon (Tuberz™)
  • Publix
  • Stonyfield (Oikos – caramel flavor only, Squeezers – all flavors)
  • Trader Joe’s (Squishers™)
  • Yami Organic
  • Butterworks
  • Cedar Summit (pourable)
  • Crystal Balls Farm
  • Hails Family Farm
  • Hawthorne Valley Farm
  • Horizon (all except Tuberz™)
  • Kalona Supernatural
  • Nancy’s
  • Organic Valley (pourable)
  • Redwood Hill Farms
  • Seven Stars
  • Stonyfield (all except caramel Oikos and Squeezers)
  • Straus Family Creamery
  • Thomas Organic Creamery
  • Wallaby Organic

Dairy Alternative – many of these popular brands are “natural” (conventional) and therefore not organic

 

Almond Milk with Carrageenan Almond Milk without Carrageenan
  • Almond Breeze (Blue Diamond)
  • Almond Dream (original, unsweetened, vanilla, and unsweetened vanilla)
  • Central Market / HEB (organic original and vanilla)
  • Engine 2 Plant-Strong (unsweetened and unsweetened vanilla)
  • Natur-a
  • Pacific Foods
  • So Delicious
  • Trader Joe’s (aseptic)
  • 365 Whole Foods
  • Natura (8 flavors)
  • OMilk NYC
  • Silk PureAlmond (including chocolate-flavored)
  • Trader Joe’s (refrigerated)
  • Tree of Life (original, unsweetened, vanilla and chocolate)
  • Westsoy
Cheese Alternative with Carrageenan Cheese Alternative without Carrageenan
  • Galaxy Nutritional Foods – vegan (block cheese only)
  • Galaxy Nutritional Foods – rice (sliced, block and shredded cheese)
  • Galaxy Nutritional Foods – rice vegan (block cheese only)
  • Galaxy Nutritional Foods – veggie (sliced, block and shredded cheese)
  • Lisanatti Foods – The Original Almond
  • Lisanatti Foods – SoySation
  • Lisanatti Foods – Vegan Cheese
  • Sunergia Soyfoods – SoyFeta and Soy Bleu Cheese
  • Trader Joe’s (except mozzarella-style shreds)
  • Vegan Gourmet / Follow Your Heart – mozzarella, monterary jack, sour cream, nacho, vegan block cheese
  • Trader Joe’s Mozzarella-Style Shreds
  • Vegan Gourmet / Follow Your Heart – vegan cream cheese
Chocolate Soymilk with Carrageenan Chocolate Soymilk without Carrageenan
  • 365 Whole Foods
  • Eden Foods (Eden Foods has committed to removing carrageenan from all its products. Check ingredients list)
  • Good Karma
  • Organic Valley
  • Nature’s Promise
  • Silk
  • Soy Dream
  • Soy Slender
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Westsoy
  • Tofu Shop
  • Silk (in single-serve, shelf-stable packaging)
  • Soy Dream (enriched chocolate)
Coconut Milk/Water with Carrageenan Coconut Milk/Water without Carrageenan
  • Almond Breeze Coconut Blend (Blue Diamond)
  • Coconut Dream
  • Lakewood (juice)
  • Silk Pure Coconut
  • So Delicious
  • Trader Joe’s (original and vanilla)
  • Zico (chocolate flavored)
  • Amy and Brian (juice)
  • Blue Monkey
  • Cadia
  • Coco Libre
  • Harmless Harvest Organic 100% Raw
  • Knudsen’s (coconut nectar)
  • Naked Juice (coconut water)
  • Native Forest
  • Roland Coconut
  • Thai Kitchen
  • Tropical Traditions (cream)
  • Yoga Earth Purity (powder beverage)
Flax Milk with Carrageenan Flax Milk without Carrageenan
  • 365 Whole Foods
  • Good Karma (original, unsweetened and vanilla)
  • Good Karma (protein +)
Frozen Dessert (non-dairy) with Carrageenan Frozen Dessert (non-dairy) without Carrageenan
  • Almond Dream
  • Good Karma
  • Purely Decadent
  • Rice Dream
  • So Delicious soy desserts (except mango, PB swirl and cherry amaretto) – reformulating soy products to remove carrageenan, expected by end of 2013
  • Soy Dream
  • Tempt (Living Harvest)
  • Trader Joe’s Soy Creamy™
  • 365 Whole Foods
  • Julie’s
  • Lifeway
  • Luna and Larry’s
  • Nadamoo
  • Natural Choice Fruit Bars
  • Organic Nectars
  • Sambazon
  • So Delicious coconut milk and almond milk desserts
Hazelnut Milk with Carrageenan Hazelnut Milk without Carrageenan
  • Pacific Foods
  
Hemp Milk with Carrageenan Hemp Milk without Carrageenan
  • Tempt (Living Harvest)
  • Pacific Foods (unsweetened original, unsweetened vanilla and chocolate)
  • Pacific Foods (original and vanilla)
Oat Milk with Carrageenan Oat Milk without Carrageenan
  • Simpli Oat Shakes (chocolate and coffee flavors only)
  • Pacific Foods (original and vanilla)
  • Simpli
Rice Milk with Carrageenan Rice Milk without Carrageenan
  • 365 Whole Foods
  • Good Karma
  • Pacific Foods
  • Rice Dream (Unsweetened)
  • Ryza
  • Westsoy
  • B.R.A.T. (all flavors)
  • Kirkland Signature
  • Nature’s Promise
  • Rice Dream (Original)
  • Trader Joe’s
Soy Creamer with Carrageenan Soy Creamer without Carrageenan
  • Silk
  • So Nice
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Wildwood
  • Organic Valley
Soymilk with Carrageenan Soymilk without Carrageenan
  • 365 Whole Foods
  • 8th Continent
  • Cadia
  • Earth Balance
  • Fit & Active – Aldi Foods
  • Great Value (Walmart)
  • Kirkland Signature
  • Nature’s Promise
  • O Organics – Safeway (refrigerated original and vanilla)
  • Organic Valley
  • Pearl Soymilk (Kikkoman)
  • Pacific Foods (all natural Select original and vanilla, all natural Ultra original and vanilla)
  • President’s Choice (3 flavors)
  • Publix
  • Silk
  • So Nice (all flavors except Natural)
  • Soy Dream (enriched vanilla and enriched original)
  • Soy Dream – Refrigerated (enriched vanilla and enriched original)
  • Soy Slender
  • Sunrich
  • Trader Joe’s (except unsweetened in aseptic package)
  • Vermont Soy
  • Vitasoy
  • Wegman’s
  • Westsoy (Organic Plus, Nonfat)
  • Wildwood
  • ZenSoy
  • Eden Soy (EdenSoy contains no carrageenan except for chocolate-flavored EdenSoy. Eden is in the process of reformulating its chocolate soy milk.)
  • Pacific Foods (organic unsweetened original)
  • So Nice (Natural flavor only)
  • Soy Dream (classic vanilla and enriched chocolate)
  • Soy Dream – Refrigerated (classical original)
  • Trader Joe’s Unsweetened in aseptic package (refrigerated does contain carrageenan)
  • Westsoy (original, unsweetened, lowfat)
Soynog with Carrageenan Soynog without Carrageenan
  • Bolthouse Farms
  • Earth Balance
  • VitaSoy Holly Nog
  • Chai Nog (Oregon Chai)
  • Silk
Soy Yogurt with Carrageenan Soy Yogurt without Carrageena
No organic soy yogurt found with carrageenan
  • O’Soy (Stonyfield Organic)
  • Silk
  • Simply Soy
  • Trader Joe’s
  • Whole Soy & Co.
  • Wildwood
Sunflower Milk with Carrageenan Sunflower Milk without Carrageenan
  • Sunrich Naturals
  • Sunsational
  • Sol
  • Sunflower Dream
  

Organic Nutritional Drinks

 

Nutritional Drinks with Carrageenan Nutritional Drinks without Carrageenan
  • Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood
  • Orgain
  • Sambazon (Energy Mocha Java, Protein Chocolate, Protein Vanilla, Protein Chocolate + Almond + Coconut Milk)
  • B.R.A.T.
  • PediaSmart
  • Sambazon (Acai, Acai Berry + Yerba Mate + Guarana, Supergreens Kale + Ginger, Blended Breakfast, AMazon Energy)
  • Svelte

Organic Deli Meat

 

Deli Meat with Carrageenan Deli Meat without Carrageenan
  • Applegate (Packaged and Sliced: Roasted Chicken, Turkey Breast, Roasted Turkey Breast, Smoked Chicken, Smoked Turkey Breast)
  • Applegate (Roast Beef, Genoa Salami, Uncured Ham)
  • Organic Prairie

Organic Dips

 

Dips with Carrageenan Dips without Carrageenan
  • Natural By Nature (French Onion Dip)
  • Marzetti’s Organic Ranch Veggie Dip
  • Simply Organic Dip Mixes

Organic Juice

 

Juice with Carrageenan Juice without Carrageena
  • Lakewood (Acai Amazon Berry and Coconut)
  • Apple and Eve
  • Columbia Gorge
  • Honest Kids
  • Knudsen’s (all flavors except Yumberry)
  • Lakewood (all flavors except Acai Amazon Berry and Coconut)
  • Organic Valley
  • Publix
  • Santa Cruz
  • Uncle Matt’s

Organic Prepared Foods

 

Pizza with Carrageenan Pizza without Carrageenan
  • Annie’s Organic Frozen Pizza
  • 365 Whole Foods
  • Amy’s (70% organic)
  • Nature’s Promise
  • Publix
  • Rising Moon Organics (70% organic)
  • Trader Joe’s

AVOID: Conventional/“Natural” Foods with Carrageenan

Below is a partial list of conventional products containing carrageenan. This list is not comprehensive, but provides examples of categories of foods where you may not expect to find carrageenan, like nutrition bars (Balance Bars), chocolate bars (Enjoy Life), and chicken strips (Butterball and Hormel).

Always check ingredients lists carefully when purchasing foods – some of the brands listed below carry products with and without carrageenan (for example, Kraft Philadelphia fat free cream cheese contains carrageenan, whereas Kraft Philadelphia regular cream cheese is carrageenan-free).

Chocolate Bars

  • Enjoy Life ChocoBoom™ Ricemilk and Ricemilk Crunch

Chocolate milk/powder

  • Carnation Breakfast Essentials
  • Garelick TruMoo™
  • Hood Simply Smart
  • Cold Stone Creamery
  • Nestle Nesquik
  • Ovaltine
  • Stop ‘n Shop

Coffee Creamer and Half and Half

  • Friendly Farms
  • Great Value (Walmart)
  • Hood Fat Free
  • International Delight
  • Nestle Coffeemate (“Natural Bliss” is carrageenan-free)
  • So Delicious Coconut Milk

Conventional Nutrition Drinks

  • Bolthouse Farms Protein PLUS
  • Carnation Breakfast Essentials
  • Ensure
  • Nestle Boost
  • Pure Protein Shake
  • Slim Fast

Dairy (cottage cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, yogurt, etc.)

  • Darigold
  • Dragone (ricotta cheese)
  • Friendship (non-fat cottage cheese)
  • Garelick (cream)
  • Great Value (Walmart)
  • Happy Farms (Aldi Foods)
  • Kemps (sour cream and cottage cheese)
  • Kraft (cottage cheeses and Philadelphis fat free cream cheese)
  • Land O’ Lakes (aerosol whipped cream, sour cream and cottage cheese)
  • Mid-America Farms
  • Old Home Foods (sour cream)
  • Reddi-Wip
  • Westby (sour cream, yogurt, etc.)

Dairy Alternatives

  • FlaxUSA Flaxmilk (all flavors – available at Walmart)
  • So Delicious Milk
  • So Delicious Almond Yogurt
  • Tofutti (all products)
  • Soy Dream frozen desserts

Dairy-Free Cheese, Dips and Spreads

  • Butte Island Foods (cheese alternative – spreadable all flavors)
  • Deans
  • Marzetti’s Otria Greek Yogurt Veggie Dips (all flavors)
  • Marzetti’s Veggie Dips (all flavors)
  • Shullsburg Creamery

Desserts

  • Kozy Shack

Dressings (Salad)

  • Bolthouse Farms Yogurt

Ice Cream

  • Ben and Jerry’s
  • Coldstone Creamery
  • LaLoo’s goat milk ice cream
  • Purple Door Ice Cream
  • Sassy Cow Creamery

Iced Coffee

  • International Delight

Infant Formula

Currently all ready-to-drink (liquid) infant formula, except Gerber Good Start, contains carrageenan. Avoid carrageenan in infant formula by buying organic powdered formula.

Meat

  • Butterball (chicken breast strips)
  • Hormel (Natural Choice carved chicken breast)
  • Oscar Meyer (Deli-Fresh)
  • Oscar Meyer (Selects – turkey breast slow roasted)

Nutrition Bars

  • Balance Bars

Nutritional Supplements

  • 365 Everyday Value Whole Leaf Aloe Vera Gel (Whole Foods)
  • Lily of the Desert Aloe Vera Gel

Prepared Foods

  • Gerber Graduates kids’ meals (ravioli)
  • Healthy Choice
  • Campbell’s (100% Natural Creamy Gouda Bisque)

Whipping Cream

  • Great Value (Walmart)
  • Sinton’s

 

Keep in mind a lot of these brands are organic. Read the food labels, especially on organics for Carrageenan.