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Agar (Agar, E406)
Agar is an organic product, a vegetable substitute for gelatin. Agar is registered as a food additive, is included in the group of stabilizers, has the index E406 according to the international classification. Agar is obtained by extraction from brown and red seaweed.
General characteristics of E406
Agar is known in the form of plates or powder of a yellowish-white color, tasteless and odorless, does not dissolve in cold water. To dissolve the substance, it is necessary to heat the liquid to 95-100 °C, while the agar will completely dissolve and turn into a transparent gel-like substance as it cools. If the solidified mass is heated, it will turn into a liquid, and will again solidify when cooled (calorizator). Agar contains water, polysaccharides and mineral salts.
Agar is practically not absorbed by the human body and is excreted through the excretory system, along with slags and toxins. Creates a long-lasting feeling of satiety. Therefore, it is often used in dietary nutrition.
Agar is divided by grades:
- the first-agar has a yellow or dark yellow color,
- the highest-agar has a white, light yellow color with a slightly grayish tint.
Benefits and harms of E406
Agar does not have a negative effect on the human body, moreover, it has the property of accelerating hair growth and improving their structure, and also helps to accelerate the healing of skin damage, up to colloidal scars.
Application of E406
The main use of agar is in the food industry, where it is added in the production of confectionery products: marshmallows and pastilles, marmalade, jams and confections, chewing candies, ice cream, as a thickener E406 is used in soups and sauces, mayonnaise and condensed milk.
Agar has a low caloric content, so the supplement can often be found in the composition of diabetic products, as well as canned vegetables and fruit, beer and some types of beverages. 1 gram of agar replaces 3-4 grams of gelatin.
In addition to the food industry, E406 is used as an ingredient for many types of medicines, especially laxatives, in microbiology and chemistry, as a natural thickener – in cosmetology and pharmaceuticals.
Use of E406
On the territory of our country, it is allowed to use Agar as a food additive-a stabilizer, a thickener and a jelly-forming substance. The permissible daily intake of the substance is not determined, agar is considered a harmless substance.