How To Tell If Sea Moss Is Real? Differentiating Fake and Real Sea Moss

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rish sea moss, a species of Red algae, is a trendy superfood that earns a huge favor among health-focused people. Packed with antioxidants, vitamins, enzymes, fatty and amino acids, fiber, and other nutrients, Irish sea moss can become utterly life-changing if one uses it regularly.

However, to find a premium Irish moss, fresh and beneficial, you want to put in some effort. Many manufacturers would strive to save on the alga and produce products that are not made of genuine Irish moss.   

In this article, the True Sea Moss team will guide you through how to tell if sea moss is real and how to identify a rigged one.

What characterizes a genuine sea moss?

Real Irish moss, raw or dry, is a sand-colored alga that has an irregular and uneven texture. Its blades are haphazard and thin, and the moss itself is highly health-beneficial(1).

If you wonder what does sea moss smell like — the taste of genuine sea moss is salty, and vibrant, with a light fishy smell. An Irish moss product would also gain the smell and the taste, and usually won’t have added sugar in it.

What characterizes a fake sea moss?

Fake sea moss strongly resembles udon noodles. It is not spongy and haphazard like the real moss. A gel from the fake sea moss would have a lot of sugar and sweeteners to hide the real nature of the product. It will only recall the Irish moss gel, but won’t have anything to do with it in reality.

What is the difference between real and fake sea moss?

Now, how to know if sea moss is real? There are slight differences between the real and fake moss that you can easily pinpoint by being attentive. Pay attention to the following signs when choosing your alga:

Looks

As was stated above, the root of genuine sea moss is uneven. It is spongy, it recalls regular seaweed that you often see in movies and cartoons. It also has blades, so the real Irish moss will look like a tree. These blades are thin and of different sizes. On the other hand, fake sea moss might look like noodles. It won’t have blades, and the texture is smooth and even, and the root itself is too moist and bright.

Taste

The taste of a genuine sea moss can’t boast a lot of fans. It is fishy and salty — like any seaweed. A gel from real wildcrafted moss saves the original taste.

At True Sea Moss we also add juices from farm-harvested fruits to make the flavor of the gel more pleasurable and sweet. A gel from the fake seaweed might be too pleasurable to eat, due to the high sugar content. A manufacturer would add more sweeteners and artificial colors to replicate the original color and make the product very addictive.

Shelf-life

Shelf-life of a real sea moss is not very lasting. Being a vulnerable marine gem, sea moss and products from it won't last months in your fridge.

As a case in point, preservatives-free True Sea Moss gels last four weeks on your fridge shelf if opened. Spoiled moss will get covered in mold and gain a repellent fishy smell.

On the other hand, a fake sea moss gel will more likely last for more than half a year. Stuffed with sugar and other preservatives, it might never run spoiled and will only lose its taste properties over time.

How to differentiate fake sea moss?

Let’s sum up and give you a coherent checklist that will help you never fall for fake Irish moss products. So, before you order your sea moss from the manufacturer, make sure that their products don’t:

• Look like noodles. If you google what does sea moss look like you will clearly see a marine seaweed with blades and spongy, uneven texture. Fake sea moss has thick stems and doesn’t recall a usual marine seaweed.
• Have unnaturally bright colors. Unnatural colors are signs of artificial colorants. Even hued by fruit juice, a natural sea moss gel won’t boast a toxic palette.
• Contain sugar. Sugar is a preservative. The content of any sea moss product will help you to get a clear idea of what you’re dealing with.
• Contain artificial additives. Anything from artificial colorants to flavors screams of the product being rigged. (Even if it’s real sea moss, your health won't be grateful to you for eating polymers and potentially harmful additives!)
• Has an exceedingly long expiration date. Full of artificial preservatives, fake sea moss will have an extremely long shelf life, while natural moss will only last for three weeks in your fridge.

How common is fake sea moss?

Unfortunately, as the market of Irish sea moss production expands, there are plenty of manufacturers who would offer fake sea moss. Fake sea moss can also be identified by price — a natural one will have a higher cost than an artificial one.

Where did the fake sea moss story come from?

It’s hard to track when exactly the cases of fake sea moss first appeared. However, by digging deeper, you might find testimonials on Amazon, with people leaving negative evidence-based reviews about the obviously fake product they received. It’s frightening because you can’t always tell when a top-rated manufacturer is selling you an artificial product for the same price.

In the next section, the True Sea Moss team will share a few methods that will guide you through finding a 100% real, beneficial product.

How do you find real sea moss?

When looking for a sea moss that brings value, bear in mind the following tips:

• The manufacturer is reliable and trusted. If you look up the manufacturer on the internet and see thousands of great reviews, that is an obvious green flag.
• The information about the origin of the product is provided. The manufacturer should have this information on their website and will gladly provide it directly if you e-mail them.
• The manufacturer has a license. If there are credible documents, you can be sure that your manufacturer is responsible for the products they provide, and that they are not just the resellers or distributors.
• There are testimonials with real photos of the product. Fake testimonials are usually very abstract and barely have photos of the products attached. Pay attention to the bad testimonials as well, to see if there are cases of poor or fake products.

By purchasing from True Sea Moss you can rest assured in the top-tier quality. We were featured in New York Weekly, Bloomberg, and Business Insider as one of the biggest manufacturers in the US.

Visit our shop and sneak peek at our fascinating YouTube channel!

Wrap-up

Irish sea moss is a Red algae species packed with a load of nutrients required by your body to properly function. It has a lot of benefits for your health and can really transform you if you stay consistent.

However, some manufacturers would strive to save on their products by selling artificially prepared moss and products from it. To spot an untrue sea moss, pay attention to the content of sugar, expiration date, form and texture, color, and, if you have a chance, its taste. Real sea moss looks natural — it has zero sugar, no artificial flavors or colors, and overall looks like a seaweed with stems and blades of unequal sizes.

To only purchase real sea moss, pay more attention to your manufacturer — ask for a license, and harvesting region, and look up the testimonials about them. You don’t need to go far to buy quality Irish moss. True Sea Moss is a trusted manufacturer with a great reputation!

Visit our shop and start transforming your health with the true Irish moss.

References

1. Lomartire S, Marques JC, Gonçalves AMM. An Overview to the Health Benefits of Seaweeds Consumption. Mar Drugs. 2021 Jun 15;19(6):341. doi: 10.3390/md19060341. PMID: 34203804; PMCID: PMC8232781.

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