carboxymethylcellulose

[ kahr-bok-see-meth-uhl-sel-yuh-lohs ]

noun

1. a white, water-soluble polymer derived from cellulose, used as a coating and sizing for paper and textiles, a stabilizer for various foods, and an appetite suppressor.

Word History and Origins

Origin of carboxymethylcellulose¹

First recorded in 1945–50; carb- + oxy- ² + methyl + cellulose

Example Sentences

Oil, fat, sugar, starch and sodium, as well as emulsifiers such as carrageenan, mono- and diglycerides, carboxymethylcellulose, polysorbate and soy lecithin continue to strip food of healthy nutrients while introducing other ingredients that could also be detrimental to human health.

From Science Daily

Andrew Gewirtz, a microbiologist at Georgia State University, and colleagues have found that the common emulsifiers polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose — often found in items like mayonnaise and ice cream — prompt an erosion of the mucus barrier in mice.

From New York Times

Putting carboxymethylcellulose sodium in one’s eyes two, three or more times a day may not sound like a great experience.

From New York Times

Quinoa seeds were embedded in a 2% carboxymethylcellulose solution and frozen above liquid nitrogen.

From Nature

After three months of feeding some animals two common ones—polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose—in their water, she found that animals who consumed emulsifiers showed changes in their gut microbes that were consistent with promoting tumor growth.

From Time