Irish Moss (Carrageen) is employed in human food

to optimise organoleptic factors.

Body, texture, flavour enhancement, mouth feel, chewy ness, flavour

and taste, and their application is a very broad one.

Many food products are not homogeneous. Water-soluble phycocolloids

present  in the Irish Moss (carrageenan) or Kelp (algin) act as stabilisers

 in complex systems,  such as fruit juices with fruit cells, to keep particles

or  small droplets  evenly  distributed in the water phase, mainly

by increasing the  viscosity of the water phase.

This will prevent both precipitation and separation. Furthermore, the

addition  of charged polymers such as alginate (kelp) may produce

 charged  films at the interface, so that individual particles or droplets

 will repel each  other.

They are non-toxic to humans, have unique rheological properties and

 relative cheap compared to phycocolloid extracts and

other industrial gums.