Aliga Microalgae poised to transform algae’s mass appeal, exec details Duplaco acquisition

08 Sep 2022 --- Danish-based Aliga Microalgae has acquired Duplaco, a Netherlands-based chlorella microalgae production facility. NutritionInsight speaks with David Erlandsson, co-founder at Aliga Microalgae, on how the food tech company aims to increase its production scale of chlorella algae products and innovate in the food ingredients industry.

“The acquisition is a pure coincidence as the production facility defaulted in June this year, it went bankrupt. Duplaco started in early 2020 to build one of the most modern and scalable production facilities of growing chlorella algae, then it defaulted, and we saw this as an opportunity to scale production and meet the global interest for white chlorella.”

“We see algae as a great nutrition crop that can be used in many applications. The idea was to bring algae from being a niche supplement ingredient to be used in a broader application for foods,” Erlandsson underscores.

Microalgae for food ingredientsThe acquisition is explained as a pure coincidence, as Aliga Microalgae looked to expand simultaneously as Duplaco defaulted. (Credit: Aliga Microalgae)
Earlier this year, Aliga Microalgae introduced its vegan proprietary algae ingredient, a white ingredient that is neutral in flavor and taste and free from chlorophyll.

“Algae is usually very strong in chlorophyll and the taste of the sea, which makes it difficult to apply to food applications. We set up a project where we wanted to remove the gene that produced the chlorophyll and ended up with an algae completely chlorophyll free,” Erlandsson adds.

He explains that although the white chlorella is not free from taste, it doesn’t have the fishy flavor but rather the flavor of plant-based protein. 

The acquisition looks to increase the production capacity of the algae and secure the supply chain, especially the white chlorella ingredient. Still, the green algae currently produced in Denmark will also be produced in the Netherlands facility.

White vs Green
While specializing in the production, development and commercialization of chlorella algae ingredients high in protein, the increased production capacity will help meet rising global demand from manufacturers in the plant-based and analog food products industry.

Erlandsson explains that the flavor and taste are the most significant differences between the white and green chlorella. Still, in a nutritional aspect, they are “almost identical in terms of proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibers, but the white chlorella doesn’t have the chlorophyll.” Therefore, white chlorella can be used in a broader range of food products.

“In our algae, there is the cell membrane rich in fibers – around 15% – and 45% protein at a natural amount. It also has vitamin B12, minerals, and other vitamins, and is low in carbohydrates.”

Even though most attention has been pointed to the high protein levels, Erlandsson stresses that “it has a broad profile rather than being a pure protein product.”

Expanding food industryThe nutritional value of the green and white chlorella is identical, although the white one lacks chlorophyll and therefore has a more neutral taste. (Credit: Aliga Microalgae)
The production will begin in October for both the green and the white chlorella. The current production capacity is around 400 tons per year, and the Dutch facility is expected to increase its capacity to 1000 tons per year by implementing more fermentors, according to Erlandsson. 

He stresses that the white one has a higher demand than the green due to its neutral taste and the company moving toward the food ingredients market. 

Therefore it can be used for analog formulations like vegan meat substitutes such as chicken nuggets, kebabs, and seafood products. There is also a demand for fortifying pasta and noodles with protein, bakery products and dairy companies.

“This is not a replacement to soy and peas and beans but a compliment to them to get a higher nutritional value,” Erlandsson stresses.

By Beatrice Wihlander