Microalgae-based ice cream: Sophie’s BioNutrients launches vegan alternative with “higher nutrition”

10 Nov 2022 --- Sophie’s BioNutrients and the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) are unveiling the “world’s first” chlorella-based ice cream to boost the availability of environmentally friendly food sources. The vegan, dairy-free ice cream was created using Sophie’s BioNutrients dairy-free Chlorella Protein Concentrate.

“Microalgae, in general, have a good nutritional profile, meaning that they contain both healthy oils or fatty acids and have a good protein quality and amino acid composition. In the case of ice cream, using microalgae as a base will mean a good nutritional profile of the final ice cream as well,” Anne Louise Dannesboe Nielsen, director of AgroTech at DTI, tells NutritionInsight.

“Microalgae is one of the planet’s most nutrient-rich and versatile resources. We have shown another facet of this superfood’s unlimited possibilities – a dairy and lactose-free alternative to ice cream that, due to microalgae, offers a higher nutrition content than most available dairy-free alternatives,” says Eugene Wang, co-founder and CEO at Sophie’s BioNutrients.

Wang explains that the use of microalgae aids in the advancement of allergen-free cuisine and the possibility of more inclusive eating.

Microalgae: The future of food security?
According to Sophie’s BioNutrients, the context for this most recent innovation is the increasing food inflation rates, global food security challenges brought on by prevailing political and economic circumstances and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

The company adds that the rise has influenced consumers’ awareness of more environmentally friendly food sources. 

“Microalgae is a good way of securing high quantities of healthy proteins in a very [environmentally] sustainable way,” says Nielsen. “Ticking the boxes for both nutrition and sustainability means that microalgae are receiving a lot of attention now and I guess they will become part of our future diet.”

The chlorella ice cream meets the rising consumer demand for plant-based substitutes.Sophie’s BioNutrients produced the neutral-colored, unadulterated microalgae flour that is organically grown from Chlorella Vulgaris and harvested in three days in a protected environment.

The Chlorella Vulgaris microalgae strains utilized by Sophie’s BioNutrients are GRAS in the US and approved by the European Food Safety Authority for use as food ingredients or supplements.

Cruelty-free and packed with nutrients
Sophie’s BioNutrients team worked with the DTI technical experts team to develop the vegan-friendly ice cream after an initial assessment of the ingredients’ potential and a subsequent application test.

Chlorella ice cream can deliver double the recommended amount of vitamin B12 in a single serving, according to Sophie’s BioNutrients.

Additionally, chlorella is a strong source of iron, which is absent from cow’s milk. It is collected sustainably with a far lower carbon footprint and no harm to cows.

Formulation challenges
This ice cream innovation, unlike traditional plant-based ice cream, has a complete nutritional profile, replicates the texture of natural ice cream when combined with other functional ingredients and is simple to make into several popular ice cream flavors with additional toppings.

Regarding obstacles faced during the production of the ice cream, Nielsen adds: “The main challenge with working with a lot of new ingredients, including microalgae, is obtaining the right taste and texture.”

She explains that the protein in microalgae behaves differently than milk proteins and hence adaptation needs to be made. 

“Furthermore, masking of the taste is often required when working with new ingredients, which was also the case for these microalgae.”

By Nicole Kerr