food products : agar-agar

Product and Raw Material Information

Most agar is extracted from species of Gelidium and Gracilaria. Gelidium grows best where there is rapid water movement, which is in the eulittoral and sublittoral zones. Depending on the species, it can be found in water from 2 to 20 m in depth. Gelidium prefers rocky areas with steep slopes, whereas Gracilaria is found on muddy or sandy bottoms.

Structural unit and Molecular structure

Agar is a mixture of a neutral, dominating polysaccharide called "Agarose" and a charged polymer called "Agaropectin". The agarose is composed of (1-4) linked 3,6-anhydro -a- - L - galactose alternating with (1-3) linked - b - D - galactose

A charged agaropectin has the same repeating unit as agarose but weakly substituted by sulfate, methyl, and pyruvic acid acetal groups. The degree of methyl groups on the agarose depends on the red seaweed variety

Manufacture and Quality Control of Agar

A short and simplified description of the extraction of agar from seaweeds is that the seaweed is washed to remove foreign matter and then heated with water for several hours. The agar dissolves in the water and the mixture is filtered to remove the residual seaweed. The hot filtrate is cooled and forms a gel (jelly) which contains about 1 percent agar. The gel is broken into pieces, and sometimes washed to remove soluble salts and, if necessary, it can be treated with bleach to reduce the colour. Then the water is removed from the gel, either by a freeze-thaw process or by squeezing it out using pressure. After this treatment, the remaining water is removed by drying in a hot-air oven. The product is then milled to a suitable and uniform particle size.

Regarding Quality Control points during and after production of Agar, note that WENDA/TCC brand agar meets with FCC IV and USP, GMO-free and other international food additive standards. Products are produced in accordance with CGMP/HACCP /ISO requirements. We have the certification of ISO9001:2000, ISO22000 (HACCP) and KOSHER.

ITEM	STANDARD
AGAR-AGAR, E 406
Assay of base material	Limit of gel concentration is not more than 0,25%
Description	Odourless or has slight specific odor. In the form of powder agar color can vary from white to yellowish white or faint yellow.
Identification Solubility	Max 22%
Ash	Max 6,5% (in anhydrous material 5500C temperature)
Ash insoluble in acid (insoluble in approximately 3N hydrogen peroxide)	Max 0,5% (in anhydrous material 5500C temperature)
Insoluble materials (in hot water)	Max 1%
Starch	Absent
Gelatine and other proteins	Conforms
Water absorption	Conforms
Arsenic	Max 3 mg/kg
Lead	Max 5 mg/kg
Mercury	Max 1 mg/kg
Cadmium	Max 1 mg/kg
Heavy (as Pb)	Max 20 mg/kg

Agar dissolves in boiling water and when cooled it forms a gel between 38° and 43°C, depending on the seaweed source of the agar. In contrast to gelatin gels, that melt around 37°C, agar gels do not melt until heated to 85°C or higher. In food applications, this means there is no requirement to keep them refrigerated in hot climates. At the same time, they have a mouth feel different from gelatin, since they do not melt or dissolve in the mouth, as gelatin does. This large difference between the temperature at which a gel is formed and the temperature at which it melts is unusual and unique to agar. Many of its applications take advantage of this difference.

For centuries it has been used as a high performance stabilizing, thickening and gelling agent. Its ability to produce clear, colourless, odourless and natural gels has been of great utility in the manufacturing of confectionery, glazing, icing coatings, piping jellies and many other innovative products.

The dosage will be adjusted according to the usage. It will be 0.05-2.5% when it is used as food additives. For example, the dosage in soft sweet: 1-1.5%; in jam: 0.5-1.2%; in frost food: 0.2-0.8%; in drink: 0.05-0.3%. When it is used as pharmaceutical additives, the dosage will be 0.3-5.0%.

Application Guideline

Food Uses

About 90% of the agar produced is for food applications, the remaining 10% being for bacteriological and other biotechnology uses. Agar has been classified as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the United States of America Food and Drug Administration, which has set maximum usage levels depending on the application. In the baked goods industry, the ability of agar gels to withstand high temperatures means agar can be used as a stabilizer and thickener in pie fillings, icings and meringues. Cakes, buns, etc., are often pre-packed in various kinds of modern wrapping materials and often stick to them, especially in hot weather; by reducing the quantity of water and adding some agar, a more stable, smoother, non-stick icing is obtained.

Some agars, especially those extracted from Gracilaria chilensis, can be used in confectionery with a very high sugar content, such as fruit candies. These agars are said to be "sugar reactive" because the sugar (sucrose) increases the strength of the gel. Because agar is tasteless, it does not interfere with the flavours of foodstuffs; this is in contrast to some of its competitive gums that require the addition of calcium or potassium salts to form gels. In Asian countries, it is a popular component of jellies; this has its origin in the early practice of boiling seaweed, straining it and adding flavours to the liquid before it cooled and formed a jelly. A popular Japanese sweet dish is mitsumame; this consists of cubes of agar gel containing fruit and added colours. It can be canned and sterilized without the cubes melting. Agar is also used in gelled meat and fish products, and is preferred to gelatin because of its higher melting temperature and gel strength.

In combination with other gums, agar has been used to stabilize sherbets and ices. It improves the texture of dairy products like ice-cream, cream cheese and yoghurt. It has been used to clarify wines, especially plum wine, which is difficult to clarify by traditional methods. Unlike starch, agar is not readily digested and so adds little calorific value to food.

Agar can also be used in the production of various products like jelly, bread & cake, Fruit Juice Soft Candy as thickening agent, emulsifier, anti-staling agent and stabilizer.

Fruit Juice Soft Candy; The transparency and taste of soft candy will become better that others as long as the formula is added by 0.8-1.5% of agar. Bread & Cake: Owing to its water-holding function, adding proper Agar can prolong storage time of bread and cake and improve the color and their taste.

Other uses

In the pharmaceutical industry agar has been used for many years as a smooth laxative. When hydrated it provides smooth, non-irritant bulk in digestive tract. It is also used in preparation of emulsions, suspensions, capsules and suppositories in surgical lubricants and as a suspending agent for Barium Sulphate Radiology.

Bacteriological agar is used in testing for the presence of bacteria. It is specially purified to ensure that it does not contain anything that might modify bacterial growth. It is therefore more expensive, frequently at least twice the price of food grade agar. A hot agar solution (1-1.5 %) is prepared and as it cools, nutrients or other chemicals specific for the type of bacteria being tested are added. When the solution has cooled below its gel point, the sample suspected of containing bacteria is spread on the surface of the gel, which is then covered and stored at a temperature suitable for bacterial growth. The agar gel should be as clear as possible so that any bacterial growth can be easily seen.

Another major application of agar is in the field of plant tissue culture. The growing interest in tissue culture as a standard method for the propagation of orchids and other ornamental plants, vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products has increased the demand for agar as a culture media.

In prosthetic dentistry agar is used in the preparation of dental casts.

Presentation Units and Shelf Life

Product Name	Packaging Unit	Packaging Type	Shelf Life	Storage Conditions
Agar-Agar	25 kg.	Carton box with inner polythene bag	24 months	Sealed and stored in dry conditions, at Room Temperature.

Please contact us at 0 232 463 1740 to be provided for the documents you might need such as Halal, Kosher, HACCP, NON GMO Statement, Allergen Statement, MSDS, Specification Sheet, Certificate of Analysis, Health Certificate, ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 22000:2005.