The ingredient that makes it easier to spread peanut butter comes from the ocean

Carrageenan is an extract from red seaweed, mainly Chrondus crispus (Irish moss).

When it comes to eating, the ocean provides much more than just seafood. Many of the foods and products found in your local grocery store contain ingredients from the ocean.

For example, peanut butter and toothpaste both contain carrageenan. Carrageenan is a generic term for compounds extracted from species of red algae. Boiling the algae extracts the carrageean, which in turn is used to make peanut butter more spreadable. Carrageenan also gives toothpaste its consistency and is used in other cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial products.

For more information:
International Year of the Ocean – Ocean Exploration Fact Sheet