Agar
We manufacture the most widely recognised hydrocolloid derived from algae in the food industry: agar-agar. This natural ingredient stands out for its exceptional gelling and thickening properties. We have an extensive range of agars designed to meet technical requirements in different fields: the food industry, culture media for microbiology and tissue culture, pharmaceutical formulations and cosmetics.
Agar, which originates in Asia, has been consumed for centuries as a staple in the traditional diets of many populations in the Far East.
Our wide variety of food-grade agars allows them to be used in a large number of formulations. They can be used in: confectionery (jellies, sweets and candies, candy fillings, jams), pastries and baked goods (cake, tart and doughnut coatings), dairy products (yoghurts, dairy desserts, fermented milks) and canned meat products.
Easy to use thanks to its rapid dissolution at 80 °C and the fact that it does not require additional gelling agents to achieve a soft gel. It has excellent synergistic action with sugar and other hydrocolloids. Available with a wide range of gel strengths.
It allows dissolution at low temperatures—between 60-80 °C—without the need to bring it to a boil, as with traditional agars. Greater energy efficiency in industrial processes, without modifying the gelling characteristics of normal agar.
Agar extracted from certain algae of the Rhodophyceae class. Its excellent compatibility with high sugar contents makes it recommended for use in pastries, breads, jams, cake toppings and confectionery. It is also ideal for products that require faster gelation.
Agar extracted from algae with ecological traceability, subjected to certified extraction processes to obtain a product with all the guarantees required by organic farming regulations.
Extracted from red algae of the Rhodophyceae class. Suitable for food applications such as pastries, bread, cakes, dairy and meat products. Its low gelling point and high purity make it ideal for applications where solutions must remain liquid for longer periods of time.
Bacteriological agar is used as a gelling agent in the preparation of culture media. The main advantages of this agar are the absence of inhibitors that can mask the optimal development of microorganisms, transparency, high hysteresis and batch-to-batch reproducibility. Hispanagar agar is subject to strict controls that determine its physical and chemical parameters and guarantee the absence of haemolytic substances and inhibitors. All batches are rigorously checked to verify their biological behaviour against various cultures of known bacteria, as well as to ensure adequate growth characteristics.
Using the finest algae of the Gelidium genus, different types of bacteriological agar have been developed and subjected to numerous tests in order to guarantee impeccable quality and the absence of inhibitors that could hinder the optimal development of a wide range of the most demanding bacterial cultures.
European bacteriological agar is used as a gelling agent in the preparation of culture media and in other routine microbiology applications. It has a high gel strength of between 800-1100 g/cm² and is used in concentrations of 1.0% to 2.0%.
Using the finest algae of the Gelidium genus, different types of bacteriological agar have been developed and subjected to numerous tests in order to guarantee impeccable quality and the absence of inhibitors that could hinder the optimal development of a wide range of the most demanding bacterial cultures.
Highly purified agar with excellent clarity, colourlessness, unbeatable diffusion characteristics and no toxic inhibitors. Low ash content and other impurities guarantee exceptional performance in biochemical, bacteriological and microbiological applications.
Pharmaceutical agar complies with the specifications of the European Pharmacopoeia and the USP. The methods used are EP/NF or validated to EP/NF. It is used in the pharmaceutical industry in various applications, such as a suspension agent for barium sulphate in radiology, a laxative, a lubricant and in preparations of emulsions, suspensions, capsules, etc.
We have over 70 years of knowledge and experience in agar production, including agar for plant tissue culture. We are a truly global company with manufacturing and harvesting operations on numerous continents, strategically located to provide access to the most abundant sources of high-quality seaweed. Our PTC agar is free of impurities and is recommended for the commercial micropropagation of a wide range of plant species, as well as for in vitro genetic engineering in the field of plant research.