WESTCHESTER, ILL. — Ingredion, Inc. will commercialize Gelymar’s carrageenan and textural systems for the food and personal care industries in the United States and Canada under an agreement between the companies announced Feb. 12.

Carrageenan, found in red seaweed, is used in dairy, meat and other applications to form gels, deliver creaminess, provide a clean flavor and help prevent syneresis (the separation of liquid from a gel caused by contraction). Carrageenan is compatible with starch and provides stabilizing properties, suspension qualities and added viscosity.

Gelymar, based in Santiago, Chile, produces carrageenan and operates two production facilities in the south of Chile. Gelymar has seaweed sustainability and traceability programs.

“This collaboration helps to propel our specialty ingredients business growth by providing our customers with yet another innovative solution to achieve their food and beverage formulation goals,” said Igor Playner, Ingredion vice-president of innovation and strategy. “Expanding into hydrocolloids rounds up our texture offerings and allows us to develop a broader portfolio and systems, while accelerating our current applications expertise.”