Agar Agar
Agar Agar is a linear polysaccharide extracted from the cell walls of red seaweed in the genera Gelidium, Gracilaria, and Pterocladia. It is the oldest documented commercial seaweed gum and the gelling agent of choice for microbiology and several Asian dessert traditions.
The polymer is a mixture of two fractions, agarose and agaropectin. Agarose is the neutral gelling fraction, built from alternating β-D-galactose and 3,6-anhydro-α-L-galactose units. Agaropectin carries sulphate and pyruvate substitutions.
We source bulk Agar Agar from top China manufacturers for our partners, working with several of them. The manufacturers are mostly in Fujian, Guangdong and Shandong. For this ingredient the minimum order is 500 kg and a 20-foot container takes 15 MT, and a smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
or call +86-21-6858 0751
- Minimum order
- 500 kg
- Qty in 20' FCL
- 15 MT
- Packaging
- 25 kg kraft paper bag with PE inner liner
- ISO 9001
- HACCP
- Halal
- Kosher
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White to light yellow powder |
| Particle Size | Min. 95% pass 80 mesh |
| Water Insoluble Matter | ≤1 |
| Ash | ≤5.0 |
| Loss on Drying | ≤15 |
| Acid Insoluble Ash | ≤0.5 |
| Starch | No blue colour |
| Gelatine | Pass test |
| Heavy Metals as Pb | ≤10 |
| Lead (Pb) | ≤3.0 |
| Arsenic (As) | ≤3 |
| Total Plate Count | ≤5000 cfu/g |
| Aerobic Plate Count | ≤103 |
| Yeast and Mould | ≤102 |
| Salmonella | Absent in 5 g |
| E. coli | Negative |
Common Markets Grades
The trade divides Agar Agar into several formats and grades.
Industrial food-grade agar is the volume product, with gel strength of 800 to 1,000 g/cm² at 1.5 percent. It is used for confectionery, jellies, and bakery applications.
Premium food grade gives 1,000 to 1,300 g/cm² gel strength and is used in higher-end dessert and confectionery work.
Bacteriological agar is highly purified for use in microbiological culture media. It has very low residual cation and protein content.
Pharmaceutical-grade agar meets USP and Ph. Eur. monographs for tablet binding and laxative use.
Physical formats include traditional strip and bar (used in Japanese desserts), flakes, granules, and fine powder.
Applications
- Traditional Japanese desserts: yokan, anmitsu, mizu yokan, and kanten cubes
- Confectionery jellies, soft gummies, and aerated candies in Asian markets
- Bakery glazes, mirror coatings, and entremet finishes
- Vegan and vegetarian gelatin replacement in mousses, panna cotta, and aspics
- Microbiological culture media (the original Petri dish substrate)
- Plant tissue culture and biotechnology gel matrices
- Pharmaceutical tablet binders and bulk laxatives
- Dental impression materials in some traditional formulations
- Cosmetic gels and natural-positioning thickeners
- Electrophoresis gels (as the agarose fraction) in molecular biology
Brands Using Agar Agar
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Agar Agar on the ingredient label.
- Eden FoodsAgar Agar Flakes (Sea Vegetable) ↗Listed: 'Seaweed - (Gelidium amansii, Gracilaria verrucosa)' - red algae agar productLabel verified 2026-05-24
- NOW FoodsAgar Powder ↗Pure agar powder derived from marine red algae, used in place of gelatin.Label verified 2026-05-24
- Miyoko's CreameryClassic Cashew Milk Mozzarella ↗Listed: 'Organic Cultured Cashew Milk (Filtered Water, Organic Cashews), Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Tapioca Starch, Sea Salt, Organic Agar, Mushroom Extract, Organic Konjac, Cultures'Label verified 2026-05-24
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Agar Agar
Top Agar Agar manufacturers in China.
- FUJIAN GLOBAL OCEAN BIOTECHNOLOGY Co., Ltd.2 ingredients in the directory
Fujian Putian Tianyuan Food Co., Ltd.2 ingredients in the directory- Fujian Zhonghai Food Technology Development Co., Ltd.3 ingredients in the directory
Green Fresh (Fujian) Foodstuff Co., Ltd.3 ingredients in the directory
Guangdong Hizense Seaweed Biological Technology Co., Ltd.1 ingredient in the directory- Guangdong Xinmei Biotechnology Co., Ltd.3 ingredients in the directory
Qingdao Gather Great Ocean Algae Industry Group Co., Ltd.5 ingredients in the directory
Quanzhou Xizhilang Biotechnology Co., Ltd.7 ingredients in the directory
Shandong Action Biotech Co., Ltd.6 ingredients in the directory- WuHan TaiKe Biotechnology Co., Ltd.2 ingredients in the directory
Yantai Taishen Biotechnology Co., Ltd.4 ingredients in the directory
Zhaoqing Haixing Biotechnol Co., Ltd.5 ingredients in the directory
Zhejiang Top Hydrocolloids Co., Ltd.10 ingredients in the directory
Zhenpai Hydrocolloids Co., Ltd.2 ingredients in the directory
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
How We Help Source Agar Agar
Direct Factory Sourcing
We run the whole process: selecting the manufacturer from the top Chinese food ingredient producers, negotiating the price, verifying quality, and coordinating the logistics. You deal with us instead of with several factories at once.
Original Packaging and Documents from the Manufacturer
The manufacturer sends your Agar Agar out of its own factory in the original packing, through to your destination port. The COA, COO, MSDS, TDS and any certifications reach you from the manufacturer as well.
Free Samples and Lead Time
We send 100 to 500 g free for your own laboratory to test and you cover only the courier, usually within 2 to 3 working days. ETD is usually within 7 to 15 days once the order is confirmed, and we check that date against the factory's own manufacturing schedule before we give it to you.
Combined Shipment
We can load Agar Agar together with other ingredients such as Carrageenan, Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Konjac Gum into one 20' FCL. If your quantity is small, we can also ship LCL.
Regulatory Status
Agar Agar is approved as a food additive in essentially all regulated markets.
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 lists it as E406 in the European Union, and it holds GRAS status in the U.S. at 21 CFR 184.1115. JECFA has assigned ADI not specified.
USP, Ph. Eur., and Japanese Pharmacopoeia monographs cover pharmaceutical agar. Halal, Kosher, vegan, non-GMO, organic, and gluten-free certifications are routinely available.
Manufacturing Process
The harvested seaweed is sun-bleached on beaches in Morocco, Chile, Indonesia, and the Philippines, then shipped to processing plants in Japan, Korea, China, Spain, and Morocco.
The dried weed is washed to remove sand and salt, then digested in hot water at 95 to 100 °C for several hours. Acid or alkali pretreatment may be applied to improve yield.
The hot extract is filtered to remove cell debris, then cooled to set into a gel. The traditional Japanese method then freezes the gel overnight, allowing ice crystals to expel impurities. Thawing leaves a clean dewatered gel mat.
Modern industrial extraction uses a pressure filter and gel-press to dewater without freezing. The dewatered mat is dried, milled, and graded by gel strength.
