Alginic Acid, Sodium Salt

Sodium alginate is the sodium salt of alginic acid, a naturally occurring polysaccharide extracted from the cell walls of brown seaweed (primarily Macrocystis, Laminaria, and Ascophyllum species). It is uniquely distinguished by its ability to form strong, thermally stable gels in the presence of divalent cations such as calcium ions—without requiring heat—making it fundamentally different from most hydrocolloid gelling agents. Formulators select low-viscosity grades specifically when they need controlled gelation kinetics, easier processing at higher solids concentrations, or precise tuning of bite resistance and chew texture in edible or topical soft-chew matrices.