Atlantic Sea Farms kelp

© Atlantic Sea Farms

Fairs & Events

Connecticut Seaweed Stakeholders Discuss Potential of Kelp in Plant-Based Food Industry

According to a Global Market Insights Report, the global kelp protein market is projected to double by 2033 with a CAGR of 8.4%, driven by the demand for plant-based protein alternatives, capturing the attention of industry stakeholders.  Last week, the 8th Annual Connecticut Seaweed Stakeholders Meeting was held in New Haven, Connecticut. This gathering of seaweed growers and regulatory authorities provided a platform to share industry updates and address the challenges facing this emerging sector, along with how to unlock the potential of seaweed cultivation. According to the University of Connecticut’s Extension News, Carl Jorgensen, a consultant to the Plant Based Foods Association and the Plant Based Foods Institute, discussed the potential of kelp in the plant-based food industry, highlighting that this is an opportune …

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Healthy Kelp Meatballs Bowl

©North Coast Seafoods

Products & Launches

North Coast Seafoods Launches “Trendy and Delicious” Kelp Meatballs in US

US seafood company North Coast Seafoods announces its Kelp Meatballs are now available online and for US foodservice, including K-12 school systems and higher education institutions.  North Coast describes the Kelp Meatballs, which can also be sold as Nuggets, as a “one-of-a-kind” plant-based food that is delicious and easy to prepare. Made primarily with ocean-grown kelp,  the meatballs also feature ingredients like green chickpeas, brown rice and spices, and are naturally vegan and gluten-free.  To create the product, North Coast partnered with Atlantic Sea Farms to procure kelp grown in the cold waters off the Gulf of Maine.  “Chefs and foodservice operators ask me all the time, ‘What’s new out there?,” said Chef Andrew Wilkinson, North Coast’s chef director of research and development. “My immediate …

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Sea Veggie Burger from Kelp

©Atlantic Sea Farms

Products & Launches

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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Flinders University kelp

©Flinders University

Market & Trends

Whole Foods Market Names Kelp, Dates and Non-Dairy Milk Pulp as Top 2023 Food Trends

Whole Foods Market has released its eighth annual food trend predictions for the upcoming year. Compiling insights from over 50 Whole Foods team members, including culinary experts and regional and global buyers, the retail chain has identified nondairy milk pulp, kelp and dates as some of the biggest plant-based trends for 2023.  Nondairy milk sales continue to soar, and social media influencers are exploring new ways to make use of by-products from soy, oat and almond milk production. As TikTok creators discover inventive ways to upcycle leftovers from nut and seed-based milks, brands such as Renewal Mill are releasing baking mixes made with upcycled milk pulp, such as okara flour. Whole Foods also plans to release oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made from upcycled oats in …

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Mind Blown w/ Kelp Seaweed

©The Plant Based Seafood Co.

Food & Beverage

Mind Blown Seafood to Debut New Shrimp, Scallops and Crab Cakes Made with Atlantic Sea Farms Kelp

Alt seafood brand Mind Blown Plant-Based Seafood and kelp producer Atlantic Sea Farms announce they are partnering to incorporate new kelp ingredients in Mind Blown’s award-winning product line.  Beginning in mid-October, Atlantic’s umami-rich kelp will be added to Mind Blown Dusted Shrimp and Dusted Scallops, followed by Mind Blown Crab Cakes in 2023. The new products will launch at all 300+ Sprouts Farmers Markets across the US.  Grown via Atlantic’s regenerative aquaculture, kelp is a carbon-negative and hyper-efficient crop that requires zero inputs from fertilizer, pesticides, feeds or fresh water. Kelp seaweed is also one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, with high levels of iodine, antioxidants, potassium, iron, and the highest natural concentration of calcium found in any food.  Both Mind Blown …

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© AKUA

Algae, Microalgae & Seaweed

AKUA Launches Krab Cakes Made With Sustainable Kelp

AKUA, producer of the “world’s first” Kelp Burger, launches its latest NPD — Krab Cakes — on Wednesday, July 20. AKUA creates plant-based foods from locally sourced and regeneratively ocean-farmed kelp, one of the most sustainable and nutrient-dense food sources on the planet, debuting back in 2019 with initial product Kelp Jerky. The Brooklyn brand has received accolades from Fast Company, TIME, and Travel + Leisure for its burger product, and secured $3.2 million last November in a seed round featuring New England Patriots coach and former linebacker Jerod Mayo, beauty founder Cristina Carlino, SmartyPants CEO Courtney Nichols Gould, and Sir Kensington’s co-founder Brandon Child. AKUA says that the Krab Cakes, created with a blend of kelp, cannellini beans, Dijon mustard, artichokes, garlic, onion and …

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Seaweed AlgiKnit

©AlgiKnit

Textiles

Kelp Yarn to Be Produced at Scale as AlgiKnit Opens North Carolina Hub

AlgiKnit, a biomaterials company specializing in kelp yarn, announces the opening of a new innovation hub in North Carolina’s famed Triangle Park.  Founded in 2017, AlgiKnit aims to cut the fashion industry’s carbon emissions in half with eco-conscious materials created mostly from kelp. The company spent four years developing new technology that can commercialize and scale the inventive fabrics, and the Triangle Park facility will provide additional research and development space, as well as accommodate in-house manufacturing and business teams. In March, AlgiKnit raised $2.1 million to help scale the company’s bio-yarns, building on previous investments from SOSV and Horizon Ventures. Globally, the ethical fashion market is expected to be worth $8.25 billion by 2023.  According to the company, 342 million barrels of crude oil …

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©AKUA

Celebrities

Host of Celebrity Investors See Future in Kelp as New York’s AKUA Secures $3.2M

After launching what it claims to be the first-ever burger made from kelp, New York-based alt-meat brand AKUA has now announced an impressive $3.2 million seed round. The kelp specialist looks set to find a prominent niche in the alt meat landscape as it promotes regenerative ocean farming.  “The first wave of plant-based eating was the Boca Burger, beans and tofu. The second wave is Impossible and Beyond, and the third wave is going to be the return to whole foods and clean eating” The funding round included a host of venture funds as well as New England Patriots coach and former linebacker Jerod Mayo, beauty founder Cristina Carlino, SmartyPants CEO Courtney Nichols Gould, and Sir Kensington’s co-founder Brandon Child. The seed round brings AKUA’s …

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Plantbased Business Hour

Can We Leave The Oceans Better Than We Found Them?  Courtney Boyd Myers of Akua is on The Plantbased Business Hour

Kelp, algae and the state of our oceans: can we leave them better than we found them?  CEO and Founder of Akua, Courtney Boyd-Myers and Elysabeth Alfano discuss all this and more on The Plantbased Business Hour.  Specifically, they discuss, What is Kelp and why it might be a game-changer, The perils of industrial fishing and factory farming, The nutritional profile of kelp, Why kelp makes a great burger and AKUA retail launch, AKUA’s multi-faceted and successful raise. Below is a clip and transcript from their passionate conversation. The podcast is here.  Display content from YouTube Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy. Always display content from YouTube Open “Can Farming Kelp Leave The Oceans Better Than We Found Them?” directly …

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AKUA Kelp Burger

© AKUA

Products & Launches

AKUA’s “Game-Changing” Kelp Burger to Hit US Grocery Stores

New York-based alternative meat company AKUA has teamed up with business development firm Next In Natural (NeNa) to bring its kelp-based burger to the retail market. “Harvesting kelp from clean waters as a regenerative carbon-reducing, plant-based superfood is a game-changer.” AKUA first launched what it claimed to be the first-ever plant-based burger made from kelp in May this year, though it has only been available to purchase online or at a select number of restaurants in the US. The burger is made of ocean-farmed seaweed, crimini mushrooms, pea protein, black beans, quinoa, and crushed tomatoes. AKUA Founder and CEO Courtney Boyd Myers said the firm was the “ideal partner” to help lead efforts to expand into grocery stores, pointing to NeNa’s experience with iconic brands …

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Oceanium Kelp

© Oceanium

Agriculture / Agribusiness

Scottish Seaweed Specialist Oceanium to Receive WWF Investment in £2 Million Seed Funding

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) counts itself among a group of investors in Oceanium, a Scottish company specialising in the cultivation and processing of seaweed. The company has announced the first closing of its seed II round led by Green Angel Syndicate, raising around £2 million (equivalent to €2.3 million). “Oceanium’s groundbreaking expansion of cultivated algae processing capacity is an exciting step for the industry as a whole.” Oceanium plans to use the fresh capital to scale its proprietary biorefinery and processing model to market to the emerging sustainable algae farming industry. The company’s technical and innovative refining method has been developed to use marine algae for multiple applications such as plant-based food and sustainable packaging material as an alternative to plastic. WWF’s Paul Dobbins …

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Seaweed AlgiKnit

©AlgiKnit

Fashion, Design & Beauty

AlgiKnit Raises ​$2.4 Million For Seaweed-Based Yarn as Part of Next Gen of Conscious Materials

New York based AlgiKnit yesterday announced a fundraise of ​$2.1 million​ to turn ocean algae into scaleable bio-yarns, as the global ethical fashion market is posed to reach $8.25 billion by 2023. AlgiKnit creates kelp-derived, biodegradable fibers and yarns to remediate the harmful cycles of fast fashion; kelp is ​one of the most renewable organisms on the planet, absorbing CO2 and working against global warming and ocean acidification​.

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