ORAL-HYGIENE

Carrageenan in Toothpaste: What You Need to Know

What is Carrageenan? Carrageenan in Toothpaste Is Carrageenan Safe in Toothpaste?

A natural preservative in some applications, Carrageenan is primarily used to thicken the toothpaste for a better cleaning experience. While Carrageenan has no nutritional value, it can be found in not only toothpaste, but also in many dairy products (ice cream, yogurt, chocolate milk), non-dairy milks (soy, coconut, and almond), whipped cream and coffee creamer, canned soups or broth, frozen meals, nutritional bars and drinks, as well as some deli meats.

What is Carrageenan?

Carrageenan is a natural ingredient derived from red seaweed, chondrus crispus, also known as Irish moss.

Carrageenan in Toothpaste

Carrageenan is helpful in stabilizing and thickening the consistency of toothpaste. Most Crest Pro-Health Toothpastes contain the ingredient as a thickening agent so you can get a more secure dollop of toothpaste on your toothbrush.

Is Carrageenan Safe in Toothpaste?

Though there has been much debate over the safety of carrageenan, it is widely accepted as a nontoxic ingredient. The use of carrageenan in toothpaste is considered harmless and the ingredient is recognized as safe by the US Food & Drug Administration.

Source:

https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/carrageenan#food-list

https://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/brands?tbl=chem&id=1516

https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=172.620