Dear Hydrocolleague:

Welcome to this week’s edition of Tidbits! Each week we bring you a mix of industry highlights, quick updates, and a few insights designed to spark new ideas. We’d love to hear from you. Send us topics you’d like to see covered in future issues.

Hydrocolloid Concentration

By concentration, we don't mean the use level of hydrocolloids in a formulation. We mean the concentration of supply sources. IMR estimates that a small number of giant hydrocolloid multinationals control about 65% of global hydrocolloid production and supply.

These giant companies often offer "package deals" in contracts which cover the supply of multiple hydrocolloids (and perhaps other additives). Such suppliers need to be cautious to avoid the appearance of "Bundling" and possible antitrust violations. The Wikipedia definition of "Bundling" is as follows:

Bundling is the setting of the total price of a purchase of several products or services from one seller at a lower level than the sum of the prices of the products or services purchased separately from several sellers. Typically, one of the bundled items (the "primary product") is available only from the seller engaging in the bundling, while the other item or items (the "secondary product") can be obtained from several sellers. The effect of the practice is to divert purchasers who need the primary product to the bundling seller and away from other sellers of only the secondary product. For that reason, the practice may be held an antitrust violation 

We are not saying this practice is ongoing in the hydrocolloid world. Rather that it is one more regulatory aspect a supplier must consider. Many producers/suppliers of hydrocolloids offer unique grades and functionality which are not available elswhere. A supplier of multiple hydrocolloids needs an accurate picture of market conditions, for all hydrocolloids, aside from its own internal pricing practices. What better source of unbiased, neutral information about market conditions than The Quarterly Review of Food Hydrocolloids? If your company is not already a subscriber, the confidentiality agreement and subscription form is HERE.

Clean Label - Not Consumer-Driven? - Digging Deeper

Some Hydrocolleagues have questioned whether the mantra of "Clean Label" is an artificially created topic that is not really consumer-driven. One anecdotal piece of evidence is that few consumers seem to be reading labels in a supermarket. Even fewer are scanning QR codes with apps such as Yuka or Open Food Facts. Yuka claims to have more than 88 million users (www.yuka.io) worldwide. Open Food Facts (www.openfoodfacts.org) does not disclose its membership numbers but claims 8 million scans per month on its app.

Open Food Facts is more open to dialogue with consumers and industry participants than Yuka, which limits engagement to its online portal. Yuka responded once to IMR’s many requests for dialogue. In that response, Yuka’s sole staff epidemiologist cited only studies reporting negative findings on carrageenan, without addressing the body of research supporting its safe use. The response also did not address how dosage and exposure affect the interpretation of those findings.

Open Food Facts, by contrast, welcomes direct communication. It will hold a general forum in Paris on Friday and Saturday, November 13–14. IMR will attend before traveling to FIE in Frankfurt the following week.

Testimonials to the importance of Clean Label abound both at the food producer and hydrocolloid supplier level. Some examples:

Puratos, a multinational user of hydrocolloids in bakery and patisserie has the following definition of clean label on its website (www.puratos.com)

Clean label is not just a trend

The clean label trend is not just a passing fad, but a reflection of consumers' growing demand for transparency, authenticity, and healthier food choices. By embracing clean label principles, food brands can not only meet the needs of their health-conscious consumers but also set themselves apart in a competitive market.

Ingredion, already one of the world's largest suppliers of hydrocolloids, before its acquisition of Tate & Lyle, states:

Ingredion's clean label solutions help brands:

• Lead with trust and transparency: Ingredion defined the global "gold standard" for clean label in 2011 and continues to pioneer the category with innovative, consumer-preferred ingredients
• Deliver authentic, recognizable ingredients: Formulate with functional native starches, multibenefit citrus fibers, multifunctional flours, dietary fibers, plant-based protein, stevia solutions and naturally derived emulsifiers for clean, simple ingredient lists
• Drive business growth and brand value:
• Label appeal: Meet clean label, non-GMO, organic, gluten-free, vegan, kosher and halal claims
• Support consumer trends and claims: Align with growing demand for natural, fewer ingredients and cleaner labels that drive purchase intent.

Ingredion dedicates an entire section of its website to clean label issues HERE.

We could provide dozens of similar examples of ingredient suppliers and food processors pursuing the clean label mantra. All the while, agreeing that there is no clear definition of what constitutes a "Clean Label". Some hydrocolloids are deemed more clean label than others, but in our opinion, none pose a safety issue, especially at the low use levels needed in final formulations.

In our opinion, the clean-label trend is real, whether consumers are visibly checking labels in a grocery store or not. This does not mean we agree with the "Clean Label" bandwagon. Unfortunately, some efforts to comply with consumer demands, whether warranted or not, result in "Cleaning by Camouflage."

A better alternative to addressing consumer concerns would be to rebuild trust in regulatory institutions. JECFA, EFSA, IFT, etc. all have highly qualified evaluators of safety. Consumers could also do with a better understanding of ingredients and additives. How many consumers would avoid purchasing a food with a chemical like "Hydrogen Dioxide"?

Who Owns the Seaweed?

For much of the seaweed-based hydrocolloid industry, ownership is straightforward. Manufacturers buy raw material from farmers growing gracilaria in ponds, coastal growers cultivating carrageenan seaweeds, or licensed harvesters collecting wild stocks. There is a recognized supplier, an authorized harvest, and a price.

But what happens when seaweed becomes a liability?

Across the Caribbean, massive accumulations of sargassum have turned beaches into foul-smelling cleanup projects. In the Venice Lagoon, fishers report that nuisance algae, including Gracilaria, clog nets and damage boat engines. Seaweed that might otherwise be a resource becomes an unwelcome operating expense.

For the hydrocolloid industry, the obvious question is whether this unwanted biomass can become a useful raw material. Both nuisance seaweeds have potential value to the hydrocolloid industry: sargassum can yield alginate, while Gracilaria can yield agar. The challenge is recovering those products at a cost and with a consistent quality that makes commercial sense. “Free” seaweed does not necessarily mean inexpensive hydrocolloids.

Disposal is hardly free either. For sargassum, landfill space, transport costs, salt, and potentially contaminated leachate complicate the apparent simplicity of hauling it away. The US EPA recommends treating landfill disposal as a last resort, preferably using specialized facilities with leachate and gas controls.

The ownership question needs to be separated into three parts: Who may harvest it? Who must remove it? And who pays for the damage? These are not necessarily the same party. Government authority over harvesting does not, by itself, establish ownership of every drifting seaweed mat, or liability for every loss it causes.

When seaweed has value, everyone wants a share. When it becomes a nuisance, everyone wants it gone.

Guar - Steady and Cost Effective

We have said it before and will say it again, guar is one of the most cost effective hydrocolloids in the applications where it works. It is also one of the steadiest in price with the exception of the horizontal drilling boom in 2011-2012 when prices skyrocketed.

Currently guar is priced at about $2.50-2.70/kg. Guar from Mexico is tariffed at the same 10% as guar from India or Pakistan.

Seaweed Fiber

Aquaculture and seaweed are hot topics from an environmental and functional viewpoint. Several companies already offer seaweed fiber and/or seaweed flour. IMR is familiar with those that offer seaweed fiber with in-situ presence of carrageenan or agar. A relatively new supplier of processed seaweed has come to our attention. Replacing gellan gum, acacia, and cellulosics with a seaweed fiber covers a broad stretch of functionality.

More detail on the company, the product, its raw material origin and regulatory status will be included in the next issue of The Quarterly Review of Food Hydrocolloids.

Several companies are targeting fiber requirements, but few are looking to aquatic raw materials, for now.

There is much more detail in each issue of

The Quarterly Review of Food Hydrocolloids.

The next issue will appear the first week of October 2026 (number 142)

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DSeisun@hydrocolloid.com | +1-858-217- 5024

NZalesny@hydrocolloid.com | +1-619-871-1415

www.hydrocolloid.com