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Seaweed has slithered into our lives surreptitiously. The closest we might think we get to it is when ordering nori-wrapped sushi. Asked if we’d like to eat more of it, we might recoil.
In reality, however, we probably consume seaweed during most meals. Itemised on ingredients lists as agar, alginates, carrageenan or simply as a “stabiliser and emulsifier”, seaweed extracts are a mainstay of the food industry.
From ice cream to face creams
These gloopy gels also underpin the skincare, cosmetics and toiletries industries, as well as the pharmaceutical, animal-feed and fertiliser sectors. They give chocolate milk and frozen cheesecake their delightfully smooth consistencies, help lipstick to glide on, pills to slide down, shampoos to flow and dental moulds to stay flexible. Seaweed is even the secret of Hollywood’s favourite $300 moisturiser, Crème de La Mer. The “miracle broth” is primarily crafted from giant kelp.