Est-Agar AS

Est-Agar AS extracts and processes furcellaran from wild red seaweed (Furcellaria lumbricalis) harvested from Kassari Bay in Estonia's Väinameri waters. The company is the only active industrial producer of furcellaran globally; while the seaweed is found in Denmark, Poland, Latvia and Canada, commercial production occurs only in Estonia. The company operates as a licensed owner of the fishing quota, which is set at approximately 2000 tonnes annually based on sustainability assessments conducted by the Estonian Marine Institute through 54 monitoring stations that evaluate biodiversity and reproductive capacity.

Production involves separation of furcellaran protein through extraction methods, with dried and stored raw material maintaining a maximum of 22% moisture content. The harvested seaweed contains an average of 8% additives. Est-Agar supplies furcellaran to food manufacturers as an alternative texturant and gelling agent to other gums and oil-based ingredients, with documented applications in meat products, dairy, beer production and coatings. The seaweed is also processed for pharmaceutical encapsulation, film and packaging materials, and beauty industry formulations.

The company emphasises sustainable harvesting practices designed to avoid depleting natural stocks and protect biodiversity in Kassari Bay. Local communities contribute to the supply by gathering and drying storm-cast seaweed from shores. Est-Agar employs approximately 25 people in the Kärla region of Saaremaa.