I don't think I have a particularly high "ick" level, but why would anyone object to seaweed? It's just vegetable matter. I did a silly online survey yesterday on which one of the answers "revealed" that cochineal is made of dead beetles, as if there is anyone on the planet who doesn't already know that. I don't mind cochineal, and I'm a) fairly squeamish and b) vegetarian (albeit a rather sloppy one). I'll quite happily eat fruit pastilles too, despite the fact that they are basically boiled down cow hooves with colouring and citric acid.