Carrageenan

Why it matters

Seaweed-derived thickener common in canned food. Degraded carrageenan has shown intestinal inflammation in animal studies; food-grade safety remains contested. Flagged as avoidable.

How PawScore treats it

Foods containing Carrageenan are penalized when we grade the label. We don't publish the exact numeric weights so scores stay honest as the rubric evolves.

Source