Its high protein and carbohydrate content has earned the algae a reputation as a healthy food. The marine vegetable is not only popular on its own in the form of salad. Algae are also becoming increasingly important as biomass for the production of new foods. The Berlin start-up BettaF!sh, for example, produces salmon and tuna alternatives from cultivated seaweed and pulses such as field beans and peas. As part of the new EU project FunSea, the foodtech start-up will now work with partners from Denmark, Sweden and Norway to drive forward the development of sustainable foods made from seaweed.

‘Our participation in the FunSea project marks a significant milestone in our commitment to sustainability and innovation. We look forward to using our expertise in sustainable food processing to transform seaweed into high-quality, nutritious food ingredients that meet the needs of today's health-conscious consumers,’ says Miriam Gößmann, head of the BettaF!sh research project.

Improving the nutritional value and safety of seaweed

The aim of the project is to improve the nutritional quality and safety of cultivated brown and green seaweed. Over the next three years, sustainable food products will be developed with the help of state-of-the-art processing technologies and the use of residual biomass from the biomarine industry.  The focus will be on the innovative processing of cultivated seaweed in order to improve the functional properties of these ingredients. The consortium aims to set new standards in the food industry, promote understanding of the potential of seaweed in Western diets and overcome previous barriers in terms of nutritional value and sensory properties.

Optimising algae ingredients for fish alternatives

As part of the project, BettaF!sh will contribute its newly developed algae ingredients in order to optimise and refine existing and new fish alternatives. The aim is to improve consumer acceptance and expand the market for products made from seaweed. According to the start-up, new findings from research and development should also improve the understanding of the unique properties of seaweed ‘in order to create even better alternative products that will transform the plant-based sector and have a lasting impact on the entire food industry’.

To ensure that seaweed is not only safe and nutritious, but also suitable for widespread use in the food industry, the Berlin-based company wants to overcome three main obstacles that are still often perceived as a drawback of seaweed products: the intense green colour of seaweed, the high iodine content and the characteristic aftertaste.

The FunSea project is supported by the Sustainable Blue Economy Partnership as part of the EU's Horizon 2020 programme and is led by the Norwegian research organisation SINTEF.

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