Addendum to Weiner, M.L. (2016) Parameters and Pitfalls to Consider in the Conduct of Food Additive Research,...

This paper is an addendum to a 2016 paper outlining pitfalls and parameters to consider in the conduct of food additive research with carrageenan (Fd. Chem. Tox. 87, 31-44 (2016)). The literature on the food additive, "carrageenan," contains many publications which either erroneously misuse the name, carrageenan, for a sample which is not carrageenan, but "degraded carrageenan" or "poligeenan" and also conduct studies without understanding the physical/chemical properties of carrageenan. Degraded carrageenan and poligeenan are not food additives and have a completely different physical/chemical and toxicological properties from carrageenan. Two recent publication examples, one in vivo and one in vitro, demonstrate the serious misunderstanding promulgated by incorrect sample identity/purity and poor study conduct. These new publication examples reiterate the problems in the literature summarized by the Weiner (2016). It is important to have thorough, rigorous peer review of all studies using carrageenan in vivo or in vitro.