Different types of carrageenan have very different thickening and gelling properties. For example, kappa carrageenan forms a hard gel with potassium ions, while iota and lambda have only minor effects. Iota-carrageenan interacts with calcium ions to form a soft and elastic gel, but salt has no effect on the properties of lambda-carrageenan. In most cases, λ and κ are used together in the milk system to obtain a suspension or cream gel. Carrageenan and its mixtures provide a large number of beneficial substances, resulting in a large variety of comprehensive and complex commercial products to meet the unique comprehensive properties most suitable for specific applications. http://dk.ingredientfood.com/news/carrageenan-physical-properties-40091175.html