Seaweed is hand harvested from the ocean, dried, and milled to a fine powder.  When we add the water and other liquids to the seaweed powder, it creates a gel paste.  Without seaweed powder (carrageenan), our toothpaste would have a syrup like consistency.  There has been confusion about this ingredient because there is a NON FOOD GRADE version known as degraded Carrageenan (aka poligeenan) - formerly referred to as degraded carrageenan.