Processed Eucheuma Seaweed
The short version
PES — the cheaper, less-refined carrageenan, still containing seaweed cell-wall material.
It's widely considered safe at the amounts used in food, so we mark it green. The Safety section below has the details.
Safety profile
JECFA set a group ADI 'not specified' for carrageenan and processed Eucheuma seaweed. EFSA's 2018 re-evaluation concluded that the existing group ADI of 75 mg/kg body weight per day for E 407 and E 407a should be considered temporary while the data are improved. Some studies suggest carrageenan-class molecules may have inflammatory effects on gut tissue, particularly at the cellular level; the human dietary relevance remains debated. The same considerations apply to PES.
Sources
- EFSA — Re-evaluation of carrageenan (E 407) and processed Eucheuma seaweed (E 407a) as food additives (2018) — European Food Safety Authority (EFSA Journal), 2018. safety: temporary group ADI 75 mg/kg bw per day
- WHO JECFA database — Processed Eucheuma seaweed (INS 407a), evaluation 2007 — World Health Organization / JECFA, 2007. safety: JECFA group ADI not specified with carrageenan
- EU — Directive 96/85/EC adding processed Eucheuma seaweed to Directive 95/2/EC — Publications Office of the European Union (EUR-Lex), 1996. regulation: EU authorisation since 1996
- EU — Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 on food additives, consolidated version of 18 August 2026 — Publications Office of the European Union (EUR-Lex), 2026. regulation: currently permitted in the EU (quantum satis, group I)
Checked against these sources on .
Educational information only. Not medical, dietary or veterinary advice. Spotted an error? Tell us.