Abstract
Macroalgae-based products are increasing in demand also in Europe. In the European Union, each category of macroalgae-based products is regulated separately. We discuss EU legislation, including the law on medicinal products, foods including food supplements and food additives, feed and feed additives, cosmetics, packaging materials, fertilizers and biostimulants, as well as biofuels. Product safety and consumer protection are the priorities with any new products. Macroalgae products can be sold as traditional herbal medicines. The novel food regulation applies to macroalgae foods that have not previously been used as food, and organic macroalgae are a specific regulatory category. The maximum levels of heavy metals may be a barrier for macroalgae foods, feeds, and fertilizers. Getting health claims approved for foods based on macroalgae is demanding. In addition to the rules on products, the macroalgae business is strongly impacted by the elements of the general regulatory environment such as agricultural/aquacultural subsidies, maritime spatial planning and aquaculture licensing, public procurement criteria, tax schemes, and trade agreements.
Highlights
Macroalgae, called seaweed, are simple plant-like organisms found worldwide that grow in the sea along the coast, and they can be found in freshwater ecosystems such as rivers and lakes
We study the European Union regulatory routes and possibilities for macroalgae-based products from the business perspective, covering products of different industrial sectors each with their own regulatory frameworks
The limit is very low compared to maximum levels of mercury set for other consumable marine organisms in the Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 and forms as such a market barrier for most macroalgae-derived food products
Summary
Macroalgae, called seaweed, are simple plant-like organisms found worldwide that grow in the sea along the coast, and they can be found in freshwater ecosystems such as rivers and lakes. The limit is very low compared to maximum levels of mercury set for other consumable marine organisms in the Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 and forms as such a market barrier for most macroalgae-derived food products. There are some European companies that offer macroalgae products made of Ascophyllum nodosum (Norwegian kelp) to be used as meal for fish, horses, pigs, and ruminants This brown seaweed has a long record for animal feed use due to its high content on fatty acids, polyphenols, peptides, and polysaccharides such as alginic acid (28%), fucoidan (11.6%), laminarin (4.5%), and mannitol (7.5%), not found in terrestrial plants (Karatzia et al 2012). The benefits of using cast seaweed include the removal of foul odors from the beaches, improving marine environment, and reductions in CO2 associated with energy production (Solrød Kommune 2014)
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