Agar | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

Agar is a natural hydrocolloid polysaccharide extracted from red algae (primarily Gelidium and Gracilaria species), used as a gelling agent, thickener, and stabiliser in a wide range of processed foods. It is valued for forming firm, heat-stable gels at low concentrations without the need for refrigeration.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Agar has an extensive safety record; both JECFA (1974, 2006) and the EU Scientific Committee for Food (1989, 2001) allocated an ADI of 'not specified' or 'not limited', reflecting high tolerability across studies with no identified toxic dose. The 2016 EFSA ANS Panel re-evaluation affirmed this position with no numerical ADI required. At very high intake levels agar may cause gastrointestinal effects (bloating, laxation) due to its indigestible fibre nature, and synergistic viscosity increases can occur when combined with other gums.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Permitted under Food Standards Code (Standard 1.3.1) as thickener INS 406 at quantum satis; no numerical ADI set.source
Health Canada (Canada)	Approved	Permitted as a food additive (thickening/gelling agent) under the Food and Drug Regulations; no numerical ADI established.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Authorised under Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 as a gelling agent, thickener, and stabiliser (quantum satis in most categories). Purity criteria set by Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012. EFSA re-evaluation completed December 2016 confirmed continued safety with ADI 'not specified'.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Permitted as a food additive (INS 406) under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, as a gelling agent and thickener at quantum satis levels in permitted food categories.source

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Infants — High-viscosity gels formed by agar (especially in combination with other gums) could pose a choking or gastrointestinal obstruction risk in infants and very young children; use in infant formula is not standard practice.

Ibs — As an indigestible fermentable polysaccharide (dietary fibre), agar may exacerbate bloating, gas, and altered bowel habits in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome, particularly at higher intake levels.

Ibd — Fermentation of agar's polysaccharide components in the colon could potentially aggravate symptoms during active flares of inflammatory bowel disease; patients should consult their clinician.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1FDA. 21 CFR 184.1115 – Agar-agar (GRAS listing). accessdata.fda.gov
2PubMed. Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of agar for pets and non-food-producing animals (Hispanagar) – EFSA FEEDAP Panel, 2022. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3EFSA. Re-evaluation of agar (E 406) as a food additive, 2016. efsa.europa.eu
4WHO. JECFA Monograph: Agar (1974, re-evaluated 2006), 2006. fao.org

Independently researched4 citations