Furcellaran as gelling agent

Formerly known as Danish agar, furcellaran is an extracted produced from red sea weed (algae Furcellaria fastigiata) found along many coasts of the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is found mostly in Danish waters and was not commercially produced until World War II, when the shortage of Japanese agar made it necessary to find substitutes.

Furcellaran is composed if D-galactose (46-53%), 3,6-anhydro-D-galactose (30-33%) and sulfated portions of both sugars (16-20%). The molecular weight of furcellaran is believed to be in the range of 20,000 – 80,000.

Furcellaran is easily dispersed in cold water to a homogenous suspension without lumps.

Gelling properties are intermediate to agar and carrageenan. Furcellaran, with milk, provides good gels and therefore it is sued as an additive in puddings.

Furcellaran is produced in food grade only, complying with existing food and drug standards. More than 90% of furcellaran production is used in food products, with the remainder employed by the pharmaceuticals industry.

It is suitable for cake fillings and icings. In the presence of sucrose, it gels rapidly and retains food stability, even against food grade acids.

Other uses are in jams, jellies, marmalade, dietetic products, bakers jellies and in meat and fish preservation.

Furcellaran facilitates protein precipitation during brewing of beer and thus improves the final clarification of the beer.
Furcellaran as gelling agent