Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

The Dutch Weed Burger CLASSIC SEA WEED BURGER

© The Dutch Weed Burger

Seaweed Revolution: Latest Food & Packaging Solutions Ahead of World Oceans Day

The potential of algae as an environmental safeguard is being increasingly realized. By absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and producing fewer carbon emissions than plants, this renewable resource is becoming a powerful tool in the fight against climate change and plastic waste. We take a look at innovators using seaweed to overcome the world’s sustainability challenges: Seaweed Innovation Event Ten international startups will present their seaweed-based food and packaging innovations at Seaweed Innovation Event on the 8th of June, 2023 — coinciding with World Oceans Day — at Scheveningen Beach, The Netherlands.  The event is part of the first edition of the Seaweed Innovation Challenge, organized by the seaweed industry association, North Sea Farmers, and the innovation platform of Brave New Food. The finalists and 20 other startups from …

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Organisations and Brands:Brave New FoodNorth Sea FarmersSeaweed Innovation Challenge
Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, co-founders and co-CEOs

Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, co-founders and co-© Notpla

Notpla: “We Want to Lead the Way in Providing Truly Sustainable Alternative Packaging Solutions Around the World”

Notpla is on a mission to make packaging disappear. Founded in London in 2014, this seaweed pioneer famously won the Earthshot Prize in the category of “Build a Waste-Free World” last December, as revealed by Prince William and announced by David Beckham. Quite an achievement for the company, for seaweed, the packaging industry, and indeed the planet. Pierre Paslier, co-founder and co-CEO of Notpla, kindly took the time to talk about this wonderful company and its aim to make single-use plastics a thing of the past. How did Notpla come to life and what are the core values of your company? At Notpla, our mission is to make packaging disappear by providing sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic packaging. We are a sustainable packaging start-up that …

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Organisations and Brands:Notpla
Bettafish-Sandwich

© wunderfish GmbH

BettaF!sh Tuna Sandwiches Available in Foodji Food Vending Machines Across Germany

BettaF!sh is now working with Foodji to supply offices, airports, train stations, hospitals, and production sites across Germany with the vegan tuna-style spread TU-NAH. Effective immediately, ready-to-eat sandwiches and salad bowls with BettaF!sh TU-NAH will be available in Foodji food vending machines across the country. The latest development from the Berlin startup follows its recent successes including expansion into +280 Müller stores in Germany, Austria, and Spain; 157 L’Osteria Restaurants; and onboard with Japan Airlines, to name a few. The partnership with Foodji is linked above all by the idea of sustainability: while BettaF!sh relies on the regenerative cultivation of European seaweed, Foodji manages its range with the help of artificial intelligence to prevent food waste. Controlled by artificial intelligence, the offer adapts entirely to …

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Organisations and Brands:BettaF!sh
Simris upgrades its algae farm to produce more ingredients

© Simris

Simris Upgrades its Algae Farm to Double Down on Mission to Replace Fish

Simris Group AB (previously Simris Alg AB) recently announced that after a deep cleaning and various upgrades of its algae farm operations in Hammenhög, Sweden, in January, its algae growth rates are more than three times the previous record rates.  Simris Group is a pioneering Swedish agribusiness growing microalgae founded in 2011 by Fredrika Gullfot. Besides growing algae, the company identifies high-value, natural, biologically active compounds (such as EPA and DHA Omega-3) in microalgae and cyanobacteria to extract for skincare, nutrition, and biopharmaceutical applications.  In 2020, Simris announced a capital raise to launch its products in the US market, claiming it has developed an industrial process to produce omega-3, as an alternative to fish oil and krill. Natural products Simris sustainably grows microalgae and cyanobacteria in optimised …

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Organisations and Brands:Simris Group AB
Mycorena brewing protein

© Mycorena

Mycorena Develops System for Brewing Protein in Space Using Algae and Fungi

Swedish food tech company Mycorena announces that its innovative circular system for brewing protein in space using algae and fungi has been selected as a finalist of the Deep Space Food Challenge (DSFC). According to the company, out of 300 teams from 32 countries, only 11 remain in the competition.  The DSFC is a competition coordinated by NASA and the Canadian Space Agency to develop technologies that enable resource-efficient food production for long-term space missions. Additionally, it aims to accelerate innovation to create sustainable food production systems that produce nutritious, safe, and delicious food. Algae-fungi circular solution Mycorena developed a technology for the competition that uses fungi and algae in a closed-circuit system called AFCiS to optimize resource efficiency. It involves bioreactors and food production modules, …

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Organisations and Brands:MycorenaNASA
seaweed caviar

© Лариса Люндовская -stock.adobe.com

Modern Plant Based Foods to Acquire Northern Pacific Caviar, Maker of Seaweed Caviar

Vancouver-based Modern Plant Based Foods Inc has signed a letter of intent with Northern Pacific Caviar to acquire 100% of the company’s shares. Northern Pacific Caviar produces a vegan caviar based on seaweed and chia seeds, said to replicate the consistency of conventional caviar. Through the acquisition, Modern Plant Based Foods will be able to produce and distribute vegan caviar to retail stores, restaurants, and other foodservice locations. The global vegan caviar market is estimated to have reached $295.6 million in 2022 and is expected to reach $632 million by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 7.9%. Sales of vegan caviar are expected to grow rapidly due to increasingly easy availability through online channels. “Restaurants have been looking for a premium vegan product like this …

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Organisations and Brands:Modern Plant Based Foods
white chlorella ingredient solution

© Aliga Microalgae

Almost a Quarter of US Skincare Launches Now Feature Microalgae

Data from Mintel‘s Global New Product Database has revealed that 22.2% of skincare launches in the US last year contained either chlorella or spirulina — up from 13.2% in 2018. The microalgae ingredients are increasingly popular with consumers due to their perceived naturalness, sustainability, and health benefits. They are also cruelty-free and vegan-friendly. One of the trending products described by Mintel is Sensityl™, a microalgae-based cosmetics ingredient developed by Givaudan. After a month of use, Sensityl is claimed to not just benefit skin but also improve mood. According to Mintel, this is in line with the growing trend towards more holistic beauty, providing emotional well-being along with functionality. Research regarding the health benefits of microalgae is still limited, but studies have indicated that the ingredients …

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Organisations and Brands:Mintel

© Loliware

Loliware Raises $15.4M in Pre-Series A to Replace Single Use Plastic with Seaweed Pellets

Seaweed materials firm Loliware announces it has raised $6M in its latest round of pre-Series A funding, bringing the startup’s total raise to $15.4M. According to the startup, this currently makes it the best-funded seaweed materials tech company on the market.  Company officials said they will use the funds to focus on driving growth in the seaweed materials market, launch new products and novel seaweed resins, and expand the company’s research and development capabilities. “Climate change is a worldwide problem, and our pelletized seaweed resins are a step toward a solution,” said Loliware founder and CEO Sea F. Briganti. “By reducing CO2 emissions and strengthening the ocean-based ‘blue economy,’ our seaweed-derived products make it clear that regenerating the Earth is good business.” Briganti adds, “Demand for …

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Organisations and Brands:Loliware

Alvyn Severien. © Algama Foods

Seafood Giant Thai Union Invests in French Microalgae Producer Algama Foods

The corporate venture capital fund of global seafood company Thai Union has announced an investment in Paris-based microalgae producer Algama Foods. Through the investment, Thai Union is looking to grow its alternative proteins business, with the aim of becoming more sustainable. The company has been working towards this goal for some time, last year forming an alliance with Chicken of the Sea and The ISH Food Company to invest in sustainable seafood alternatives. Thai Union has also invested in another algae ingredients producer, Mara Renewables, and has signed a memorandum of understanding with Aleph Farms with the goal of bringing cultivated meat to the APAC region. Strong tech and commercial capabilities “At Thai Union, we are committed to ‘Healthy Living, Healthy Oceans’, and algae, as …

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Organisations and Brands:ALGAMA FoodsThai Union
spirulina-based smoked salmon

© SimpliiGood

New in Alt Seafood: Salmon Scent from Plants & EU Strategy to Boost Algae Production

New in alt seafood, taking place in Europe are two interesting developments: Estonian researchers are recreating the scent of salmon using plants, and the EU’s new algae strategy heralds the acceleration of sustainable, fish-free seafood.   Researchers recreate scent of salmon with plants Estonian researchers led by Dr Sirli Rosenvald from Estonia’s Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies (TFTAK) are working to recreate the unique aroma of salmon using plants in order to advance developments in alternative seafood production. The research aims to tackle Europe’s dependence on imported seafood and meet growing demand for fish in a sustainable manner: Europe imports three times more seafood than it produces, and global demand for seafood is expected to increase by 5% over this decade. According to the …

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seaweed-based snacks

© New Wave Foods/SHORE

Scotland’s SHORE Raises Six Figures for Seaweed-Based Snacks & Ramen Broths

Scottish seaweed producer New Wave Foods has raised a six-figure sum from its biggest shareholders. The funding will be used to increase production and expand the company’s SHORE range of seaweed-based products. SHORE will begin by introducing two new ramen broths made with seaweed. Sold ready to heat in the flavours Miso and Chilli, the broths are said to be better quality than powdered or concentrated varieties. They will launch later this month via Amazon and some independent stores. New Wave will also use some of the new funding to increase its production of Scottish seaweed, including at the company’s farm in Oban. Seaweed chips SHORE initially introduced its super-grain seaweed chips about a year ago. Currently available in the flavours Lightly Salted, Asian Peking, …

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Sophie's Vegan Ice Cream

©Sophie's BioNutrients

Sophie’s BioNutrients Develops Chlorella Ice Cream with More Iron and B12 Than Cow’s Milk

Sophie’s BioNutrients, a B2B food tech company, has collaborated with the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) to produce its first chlorella-based ice cream. Made with Sophie’s dairy-free Chlorella Protein Concentrate, the new vegan ice cream boasts a complete nutritional panel, with more B12 and iron than most dairy and plant-based alternatives.  Sophie’s Chlorella Protein is a neutral-hued microalgae flour naturally cultivated from Chlorella vulgaris. The company states the Chlorella vulgaris strains it uses are US GRAS and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approved as food ingredients. More nutrients To create the ice cream, the team at Sophie’s worked with DTI’s technical experts to perform an initial screening of the ingredient’s potential, before combining it with functional ingredients that mimicked ice cream’s natural texture. The finished product …

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Organisations and Brands:Sophie's Bionutrients
vgarden plant-based cheese cut on a wooden board

© Vgarden

Vgarden & Brevel to Develop New Category of High Protein Microalgae Cheese

Vegan food manufacturer Vgarden, and microalgae-based alternative protein company Brevel, recently announced a collaboration to develop a new category of high-protein plant-based cheese.  Brevel will provide its microalgae protein which is neutral in color and flavor, allowing Vgarden to develop a rich-protein plant-based cheese that has no aftertaste. The new Brevel-enriched cheese will not compromise the real cheese experience, says Vgarden. Brevel’s microalgae protein Yonatan Golan, Brevel’s CEO and co-founder, said: “Brevel is actively working to solve the biggest nutrition challenges that exist today. We are achieving this by providing truly sustainable microalgae protein which is both color and flavor neutral, and available for the first time at an affordable cost for partners like Vgarden.”  “We are excited that Vgarden will be the first to …

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Organisations and Brands:brevelVgarden
Sea Veggie Burger from Kelp

©Atlantic Sea Farms

Atlantic Sea Farms Debuts New Sea-Veggie Burgers Made from Sustainable Kelp

Aquaculture specialist Atlantic Sea Farms announces the launch of new Sea-Veggie Burgers made with regeneratively-grown kelp. Available in two varieties, the burgers will debut this month at all US Sprouts Farmers Market locations, as well as additional retailers and Atlantic Sea Farm’s website.  Made with whole plant-based ingredients, including Atlantic’s award-winning kelp, green chickpeas, pea protein, and oat fiber, the Sea-Veggie Burgers are naturally gluten-free and offer a good source of protein, B vitamins, iron, potassium and other essential minerals. The burger patties are available in two flavors, Basil Pesto (basil, lemon red pepper flakes) and Ginger Sesame (Ginger, garlic, toasted sesame), and can cook from frozen in less than 15 minutes. Versatile patties According to the brand, the new burgers also make excellent meal-starters …

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Organisations and Brands:Atlantic Sea Farms
Cultivated pork meat sausages

© Mewery

Mewery Proves Feasability of Microalgae-Based Cultivated Pork Without FBS

Czech cultivated pork meat startup Mewery claims it has proven that the company’s proprietary microalgae-based growth medium for cultivating mammalian cells without using fetal bovine serum (FBS) is feasible.  Developing cultivated pork meat using microalgae growth factors instead of fetal bovine serum has been Mewery’s strategy for the production of ethical and more economical cultivated meat. Mewery says it is the first European startup to use this method. Roman Lauš, Mewery’s founder and CEO, comments: “Our microalgae-based cultivation medium is FBS-free. This was the main goal we set at the very beginning, a cultivation medium without animal products. It means meat without animal death.”  He continues, “We were able to validate our method in different environments, and we obtained a so-called ‘proof of concept’ of …

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Organisations and Brands:Mewery
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