Chapter 10 - Seaweeds and microalgal biomass: The future of food and nutraceuticals

Abstract

Current trends in the food industry, guided by consumer’s consumption preferences for healthy, nutritious, and green products, include the use of plant and vegetable ingredients in substitution of animal-derived products. The incorporation of algal biomass (seaweed and microalgae) in foods is perceived as healthy by consumers and algal production is more sustainable compared to terrestrial crops. Moreover, seaweeds and microalgae represent a relatively untapped source of biologically active compounds, such as proteins and carbohydrates, which can be used as functional foods or nutraceuticals, with a higher market value than the original full biomass. This chapter focuses on the variable composition of the main nutritionally relevant compounds from algae reported in the recent scientific literature. The current use of algal biomass in food products together with future trends in the food industry, such as their use as nutraceuticals or functional foods, will also be covered together with the prospects and challenges of the algal industry for food applications.