Agar is used in vegan sausages to give a more compact and homogeneous texture.

The interest in veganism has experienced a continuous growth, especially during the last decade, to the point that the British magazine The Economist dubbed 2019 as the year of veganism.

It is estimated that in the U.S. 6% of the population is vegan, in Spain 0.5%, in the United Kingdom 20% of young people, and in Germany 16%.

This is a movement that has come to stay, along with an increasing supply and demand for products. But not only for vegans; many people consume vegan products for health, diet, allergies, intolerances, etc. The demand for meat substitute products continues to rise, and it is estimated that by 2030 they will account for 13% of meat consumption worldwide.

Among the new vegan products appearing in the market, cold cuts stand out. Not just sliced meat, mortadella, or York ham. We also find chorizo, salchichón, salami, and, of course, cheeses.

Generally, they are made from soy, spices, rice, legumes, and vegetables. One problem that has always existed with these substitutes was the texture. In the mouth, the difference was clearly noticeable, but thanks to agar, this has changed. With the inclusion of agar in recipes, a more compact and homogeneous texture has been achieved, which is getting closer to that of the original products. Thanks to its properties, it provides an ideal texture so that its appearance is similar to that of traditional cold cuts, and since it is a tasteless and colorless ingredient, it does not alter the recipe. As they become more similar to the original products, their consumption has been increasing exponentially in recent years.