Food agar archivos

The Health Benefits of Agar for Gut Wellness

Agar, a natural gelatinous substance derived from red algae, has gained popularity not only as a versatile culinary ingredient but also as a powerful supplement for enhancing gut health. As more people seek plant-based and natural options for improving digestion, agar stands out as an excellent choice.

One of the primary benefits of agar is its high dietary fiber content. It acts as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria and promoting a healthy microbiome. A balanced gut microbiota is essential for proper digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune function. Regular consumption of agar can help alleviate common digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, and irregular bowel movements.

Moreover, agar is low in calories and free from fat, making it an ideal addition to a balanced diet. It is also rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium, which support overall gastrointestinal health and muscle function.

Another advantage of agar is its natural ability to absorb toxins and excess fats within the digestive tract, aiding in detoxification. Its gentle, plant-based nature makes it suitable for vegetarians and vegans, providing a non-animal source of dietary fiber and health benefits.

Incorporating agar into daily meals is simple. It can be used as a thickening agent for soups and desserts, or as a supplement in powdered form. Its versatility makes it an easy way to boost fiber intake and promote gut health naturally.

At Agarmex, we are committed to providing high-quality agar products that support your health and well-being.

Explore the benefits of agar and enjoy a healthier digestive system with this natural, plant-based superfood.

Next Stop: Food Tech Summit and Expo 2025!

Agarmex is proud to be participating in the upcoming Food Tech Summit and Expo 2025 once again. This event will take place on 8–9 October at the Citibanamex Center in Mexico City. With over 500 companies now participating, this event is set to be the main gathering for the sector in Latin America, providing a key meeting point for food and beverage industry professionals in the region.

Please visit us at booth 2135 to learn more about our agar-agar production and marketing. This versatile ingredient is widely used in bacterial culture media, the food industry and microbiology. You can also learn about the stabilising and dietary benefits that our agar-agar can offer.

This event will bring together suppliers from the food and beverage technology sector, including companies specialising in starches, enzymes, fibres, chemicals and processing equipment. The Food Tech Summit and Expo offers a dynamic platform combining exhibitions and networking opportunities to foster connections between food and beverage technology professionals.

Over the course of two days, you will have the opportunity to learn about the latest sector innovations. Topics covered will include research and development, food and beverage quality, production processes, technical management, packaging and marketing.

Don’t miss out! Contact us to get your pass and join us at this incredible event. We look forward to seeing you there!

Did you know that agar was discovered by a curious coincidence?

As mentioned in a previous news item, agar was discovered by accident. Today, we will explain exactly how it was discovered and its power as a gelling agent.

Its origins date back to 17th-century Japan, where it was discovered by a curious coincidence.

According to the story, a Japanese emperor and his entourage got lost in the mountains during a snowstorm and found shelter in an inn. The innkeeper, Minora Tarazaemon, served them a bowl of seaweed soup. The next day, he noticed that the remains of the soup had turned into a strange jelly.

Tarazaemon discovered the gelling power of the seaweed used in the soup and realized that, if he reboiled the jelly with water, it would turn back into soup. In Japan, agar is known as kanten, meaning “frozen sky,” in honor of this legend

From then on, agar became part of the local cuisine and spread throughout the region. Traditional Chinese medicine also began attributing various beneficial properties to agar, including laxative, depurative, weight loss aid, and improvement of intestinal transit properties.

Eventually, European traders recognized agar’s potential in the food industry and began promoting its use on the continent, thus consolidating its global presence.

The Double Name: Unraveling the Mystery of Agar-Agar

Agar was discovered by accident in Japan in the mid-17th century. Although we will discuss the fascinating legend of its discovery in another article, today we will focus on the origin of its name.

In Japanese, it is known as kanten, which means “cold sky” and describes its traditional production method of natural freezing and thawing. The term “agar” or “agar-agar” that we use today is of Malay origin.

In the 19th century, Chinese emigrants introduced the Japanese product to Malaysia and adopted the local name “agar”, which means “jelly” or “jelly”. In Malaysia, it is customary to repeat words for emphasis, so it eventually became “jelly-jelly”. When candy arrived in Europe, it did so with the Malaysian name “agar”.

At Agarmex, we are pioneers in the production of agar-agar in Mexico, from the harvesting of algae to the production of hydrocolloids. We produce bacteriological and food grade agar and are working to offer the most complete range of products in the market.

Contact our experts for answers to all your questions!

NEW EDITION OF THE FOOD TECH SUMMIT AND EXPO!

Agarmex will once again be present at the upcoming Food Tech Summit and Expo 2024, which will take place on October 2nd and 3rd at the Citibanamex center in Mexico City. This event, celebrating its 15th anniversary, has established itself as the leader in Latin America and is a key meeting point for all professionals in the food and beverage industry in the region.

We invite you to visit us at our booth 1340, where you can get more information about the production and marketing of our agar-agar. This ingredient is vital for its use in bacterial cultures, the food industry, and the microbiology sector. Additionally, we will be sharing the stabilizing and dietary benefits that our agar-agar can offer.

The event will bring together thousands of suppliers from the sector, including companies in starches, enzymes, fibers, chemicals, food processing equipment, and much more. The Food Tech Summit and Expo features a format that combines exhibitions, facilitating connections among professionals in the food and beverage technology industry.

During these two days, you will have the opportunity to discover firsthand the latest developments in the sector. The fair will cover various areas, including research and development, food and beverage quality, production processes, technical management, as well as packaging and marketing.

Don’t miss the chance to contact us for your silver pass and enjoy this event! We look forward to seeing you.

Successful dissolution of agar in acidic environments: the ultimate guide

Agarmex offers a specialized guide on the proper use of agar in acidic environments, detailing essential guidelines for its optimal handling.

To activate the gelling properties of agar, it should begin with its dissolution. It is advised to gradually add it to water or milk, preferably cold, while constantly stirring to achieve suitable suspension and prevent clumping.

To enhance suspension, agar powder can be premixed with other dry ingredients, such as sugar, before adding it to water or milk.

It is crucial to consider the pH during preparation, as solutions with a pH below 4 and prolonged heating times can impact the functional properties of agar.

To prevent agar hydrolysis during heating, practical approaches are suggested:

If a specific ingredient lowers the pH, it is recommended to add it during the cooling stage of the mixture, around 50ºC.
In acidic environments with a pH below 4, it is best to dissolve agar separately in a small amount of water or milk and carefully mix it with the acidic medium when both liquids are at a similar temperature, around 50ºC.

Once the agar gel is formed, the pH does not affect its stability, being more resilient in acidic environments compared to carrageenans or gelatin.

It is essential to note that this guide is purely indicative, and users are advised to conduct tests in their specific applications. For further information, do not hesitate to contact our technical team.

THE RISE OF AGAR IN PET NUTRITION

*The Mexican pet food market increased by 18.8% between 2017 and 2022. It is estimated that the size of the Mexican pet food market will reach $3.29 billion in 2024, and it is expected to reach $4.58 billion in 2029.

This growth is associated with the changing economic and social landscape of the country, which has led to an increase in pet ownership and a boost in the demand for pet food.

In addition to the growth in pet ownership, there are also more owners who are concerned about and pay attention to the properties of the food their animals consume. Numerous studies confirm that both the quality and the label confirming that it is produced with natural ingredients influence 53% of people when buying food for their pets.

All of this has led to an increase in the number of companies that have joined a pet food sector that focuses on intestinal health and the quality of the components of these foods.

One of the ingredients that is increasingly being incorporated into the production of these foods is agar. Among the reasons is the fact that this vegetable hydrocolloid provides the natural fiber that our furry companions need, but the main benefit is that it allows for the creation of a nutritionally balanced product tailored to their needs, maintaining a texture and consistency that is appealing to pets.

*source: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/es/industry-reports/mexico-pet-food-market

Did you know that you can heat dishes containing agar?

As we have previously discussed in an earlier article, agar-agar is a natural product derived from red seaweeds. In the food industry, it is used as a thickening, emulsifying, and gelling agent, and consumers can purchase it in the form of powder, flakes, or transparent sheets.

This versatile ingredient has various applications in cooking and allows for the modification of the texture of our recipes without affecting their aroma, flavor, or color.

One of the most notable characteristics of agar is its significant hysteresis, the highest among hydrocolloids. As mentioned before, hysteresis refers to the difference between the gelation temperature and the melting temperature of a gel.

To dissolve agar, it is necessary to reach the boiling point, and once dissolved, the gel will form as the temperature drops below 40 degrees. Agar gels are thermoreversible, meaning that, due to agar’s high hysteresis, they can be heated while maintaining their solid state, only melting again when reaching 85-90°C, not before.

Therefore, unlike gelatin gels, agar gels can be served hot. This unique property led agar to be used in high-level gastronomy by Ferrán Adrià.

Do you recognize what you eat? The new trend of ‘Clean Labeling’

More and more people are becoming aware of their diet and its impact on their health. Therefore, it is important for consumers to be able to read a product label and understand what ingredients it is made of. This change in consumption habits has led to the emergence and growth of a trend known as “clean labeling.”

This clean label entails that, when producing our foods, we choose to use natural, healthy, easily identifiable ingredients and avoid additives and complicated labeling.

This poses a significant challenge for the food industry, which must reformulate to adapt to a label that is as simple and natural as possible, without compromising sensory quality, safety, and product quality, as much as possible, regardless of cost.

In this vein, Agarmex supplies food-grade agar to the industry. It is a seaweed extract that can modify the texture of the final product according to the manufacturer’s needs without altering its color, smell, and taste.

This natural vegetable-based gelling agent allows for replacing other additives with texturizing or emulsifying functions in formulations while promoting the aforementioned clean label.

If a product contains E406, consumers are less likely to associate it with agar-agar, leading to distrust. However, if it is labeled as agar-agar, the reaction will be the opposite – positive, as it is a well-known ingredient with a good reputation.

If you are looking to develop new recipes or reformulate existing ones and want to experiment with agar-agar, do not hesitate to contact the sales department for advice.

AGAR AS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT IN VEGAN YOGURTS AND CHEESES

Traditionally, nuts, soybeans and vegetable oils have been used to produce vegan cheese. But, as is almost always the case with this type of food, the problem lies in achieving the final consistency of the non-vegan product. To address this problem, agar is the ideal strategic ingredient, as it replaces rennet and produces a range of textures, from soft to hard.

In addition, the use of agar will add nutritional benefits to the recipe and it combines perfectly with nuts. Agar is not only used in the preparation of homemade cheese, it is increasingly common to find industrially produced vegan cheeses on the market that contain agar as a main ingredient.

There are many recipes for making vegan cheese and many varieties can be replicated. You can find a range of vegan versions of cheese, from “hard” cheddar to semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella, feta and Brie. Of course, we shouldn’t forget about the range of cheese spread recipes. QSol Soft Agar is perfect for making this last variety of cheese.

But it’s not just vegan cheese recipes that have consistency problems. In traditional vegan yogurt recipes, the final product is often more liquid than desired and, thanks to its gelling effect, agar is ideal to prevent this problem.