Agar

Item

Specification                           

Name

Agar-agar

CAS No.

9002-18-0

Appearance

White powder

Taste

Bland

Odor

Odorless

Assay

99.5%

Gelling Point

37-40oC

Melting tem

85-90oC

Gel Strength(Gr/cm2 )

1300~700(test method:Nikan 1.5%solution at 20oC for 15 hours.)

Viscosity

50-200cpc

Starch or dextrin

NIL

Heavy metal

200mg/kg

Lead

10ppm

Arsenic

3ppm

Tannin acid gums

NIL

PH

5-7

Moisture(Wt)

10%

Total Ash(Wt)

4.0%

Stability

4.0%

Insolubles

<0.1%

Swelling Index(H2O)

<9

Colony(Cfu/gm)

<1000

Clarity(NTU )

<35

Acid Insoluble(Wt)

<0.6%

Mesh Size

80~100

Salmonella

NIL

E. Coli

NIL

Coliform

NIL

Packing

25kg

Introduction 

It is known as agar-agar. In Japanese, it is known as kanten 

Agar or Agar Agar is derived from Gracilaria (Gelidium species) a bright red sea vegetable with the botanical name of Gleidium purpurascens. Agar due to its high gelling properties is considered the queen of gelling agents. An excellent gelling agent and thickener in many processed foods such as doughnuts, marmalade & jam, jelly candy, cheese, puddings, gelatin fruit desserts, meat products, bakery fillings and icings, dry and canned soups and ice cream. .

Usage 

Flaked and powdered agar agar need to be used in different proportions due to their variance in density, unfortunately many recipes do not specify which is being called for, but here are a few guidelines: Powdered agar can be substituted for the same quantity of unflavored gelatin in recipes. One teaspoon agar powder = One tablespoon agar flakes. Typical usage level is 1/2 percent agar in water. The gelling ability of agar agar is affected by the acidity or alkalinity of the ingredients it is mixed with. More acidic foods, such as citrus fruits and strawberries, may require higher amounts of agar agar. Some ingredients will not set with it at all such as: kiwi fruit (too acidic), pineapple, fresh figs, paw paws, papaya, mango and peaches, which contain enzymes which break down the gelling ability (although cooked fruit seems to lose this effect), chocolate and spinach.

Culinary ---Agar-Agar is a natural vegetable gelatin counterpart originally eaten in Japan. White and semi-translucent, it is sold in packages as washed and dried strips or in powdered form. It can be used to make jellies, puddings and custards. For making jelly, it is boiled in water until the solids dissolve. One then adds sweetener, flavouring, colouring, fruit or vegetables, and pours the liquid into molds to be served as desserts and vegetable aspics, or incorporated with other desserts, such as a jelly layer on a cake. 

Agar-agar is approximately 80% fiber, so it can serve as a great intestinal regulator. Its bulk quality is behind one of the latest fad diets in Asia, the kanten diet. Once ingested, kanten triples in size and absorbs water. This results in the consumer feeling more full. Recently this diet has received some press coverage in the United States as well. The diet has shown promise in obesity studies.Agar is used as an impression material in dentistry. It is also used to make salt bridges for use in electrochemistry.Agar is used in formicariums as a transparent substitute for sand and a source of nutrition. 

Agar Gel Recipe 

For a firm jelly you require approximately 2 teaspoons of powder or 2 Tablespoons of flakes per 1 pint ( 600ml) of liquid. Agar agar should be soaked in the liquid first for 10-15 minutes, then gently brought to a boil and simmered while stirring until it dissolves completely, this will take about 5 minutes for powder and 10-15 minutes for flakes. Unlike gelatin, agar agar can be boiled and can even be re-melted if necessary. If you are unsure as to the setting ability of your gel, test a small amount on a cold saucer - it should set in 20-30 seconds, if not you may need more agar agar, if too firm - add some more liquid.