“…The three most relevant commercial carrageenan types are kappa (κ), iota (ι) and lambda (λ), which have one, two and three sulphate ester groups, respectively (Daniel-da-Silva, Ferreira, Gil, & Trindade, 2011). Although the most extensively used has been κ-carrageenan, which forms harder and stronger gels (Azevedo, Torres, Sousa Pinto, & Hilliou, 2015), ι-carrageenan yields fragments of greater molecular weight upon hydrolysis in the gastrointestinal tract, and these are generally less harmful when ingested (Ekström, Kuivinen, & Johansson, 1983). Hence, ι-carrageenan was selected in this work as a more adequate candidate for food purposes, even though it has received relatively lower attention.…”