Seaweed has been gaining recognition on menus and retailer cabinets over the previous few years, however this yr might deliver a tidal wave of recent merchandise and culinary purposes as meals firms look to money in on algae’s well being and sustainability advantages.
Kelp and different kinds of sea greens floated to the highest of many 2023 meals and beverage pattern lists, from Whole Foods to Pinterest. Seaweed has been gaining recognition on menus and retailer cabinets over the previous few years, however this yr might deliver a tidal wave of recent merchandise and culinary purposes as meals firms look to money in on algae’s well being and sustainability advantages.
Greater than 1 / 4 (28%) of shoppers surveyed by the International Food Information Council in December 2021 stated they’d be focused on attempting “sea green-based merchandise (e.g., algae- or kelp-based meals).” The algae class – which contains microscopic algae referred to as phytoplankton in addition to bigger seaweed varieties together with kelp – has been steadily rising to supply shoppers extra meals and drinks that make use of algae’s taste and dietary advantages. The industrial seaweed market is projected to develop from $40 billion in 2020 to $95 billion by 2027, in accordance with Global Market Insights.
“We’ve seen extra meals manufacturers utilizing seaweed and kelp in merchandise starting from seasonings to pasta sauces to entrees,” stated Denise Purcell, vice chairman of useful resource growth for the Specialty Meals Affiliation.
“Seaweed and kelp are on the intersection of a number of traits: better-for-you choices with added vitamins, sustainability and upcycled components. Customers have gotten more and more conscious of what they’re placing into their our bodies and so they search to make good decisions for their very own well being and for the well being of the atmosphere,” Purcell stated.
Algae provides a sea of culinary prospects
Algae is displaying up on retailer cabinets in all types of merchandise, from dried seaweeds to sprinkle on salads to packaged snacks and even canine treats, in accordance with Kantha Shelke, founding father of meals science analysis firm Corvus Blue.
“Product builders love that kelp and seaweed are sustainable, gluten-free, fat-free, fiber-rich, nutrient-dense sources of magnesium, calcium, potassium and iodine,” stated Shelke, who works with the Specialty Meals Affiliation as a trendspotter.
Along with its dietary advantages, many meals firms are leaning on algae’s distinct taste profile when creating merchandise. Its savory, umami high quality lends itself to plant-based snacks that intention to emulate meaty flavors. Seattle-based Blue Dot Kitchen’s Seacharrones are a riff on chicharrones made with seaweed, sorghum, spirulina and spices, and San Francisco-based Umaro Foods is utilizing seaweed to make a plant-based bacon.
Algae can also be an apparent alternative when trying to imbue meals with the flavour of the ocean. “Phytoplankton has a definite and distinctive seafood taste, however with the benefit that it’s vegan,” stated David Hunter, founder and CEO of Canada-based phytoplankton firm Blugenics Innovations. The corporate markets its Plankton Marino product to high-end eating places, and Hunter stated they’re additionally engaged on “merchandise to raise the dietary worth [of] commodity-based merchandise.”
Because the plant-based seafood class continues to develop, extra meals firms are more likely to turnt to algae as a supply of taste that additionally brings different advantages.
“The majority of retail merchandise to this point have used legumes and greens as the bottom ingredient to imitate seafood/fish. Nonetheless, new firms have began to think about extra novel components – like algae – that would assist get the flavour and vitamin proper, whereas additionally being extra sustainable,” meals and beverage analytics firm Spoonshot wrote in its 2023 food trends report.
Sustainability issue drives progress for seaweed
Algae’s repute as a sustainable meals is a key driver of its rising recognition. In contrast to different crops, algae doesn’t require land, fertilizer or recent water to develop – simply ocean water and lightweight.
“Below the best situations it will possibly develop very quick,” Blugenics’ Hunter stated. “Phytoplankton is the primary oxygen producer and absorber of CO2, so the rising course of is useful to the [planet] itself.”
The mounting consideration on the deserves of algae is driving funding in seaweed farming, which is the quickest rising section of the aquaculture {industry}, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
With demand rising, farmers are working to scale up manufacturing. A cooperative of New England seaweed farmers referred to as the Sugar Kelp Cooperative shaped final yr to assist the {industry}, Modern Farmer reported. A majority of these farming cooperatives help with advertising and marketing and assist producers scale up output and get essential exams to qualify seaweed for meals consumption – essential duties for an {industry} supplying one of many yr’s most buzzed-about components.
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