ProFuture pegs nutrient-rich microalgae for Europe’s alternative protein source

06 Jul 2022 --- Though Europe lags behind Asia in utilizing microalgae, the continent may soon see scaled-up cultivation to roll out the alternative protein for more consumers, according to ProFuture, a research project aiming to get microalgae proteins ready for market use as environmentally sustainable nutrition.

“Microalgae represent a huge market niche, as soon as cultivation is scaled-up and big distributors and supermarkets will make these food products more available for consumers,” Fabio Fanari, Ph.D. at the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), tells NutritionInsight.

“For this reason, microalgae-based foods can influence the nutrition industry competing with the other conventional and alternative sources of proteins.”

According to recent reports, the global microalgae market is set to record an average expansion between the forecast period 2017 and 2026, Fanari explains.

IRTA is an organization coordinating the ProFuture project.

Entering the European nutrition market
Fanari details that microalgae have already become a major source of nutrition across Asian countries as they are rich in active bio compounds.

“However, in Europe, food products enriched with microalgae still can only be found in specialized retailers and shops,” he adds.

Due to the additional protein and other nutrients, microalgae-enriched bread has the potential to be more nutrient-dense than ordinary bread (Credit: ProFuture).“Despite all the benefits, the use of microalgae as food is still quite uncommon in Europe,” Massimo Castellari, Ph.D. at IRTA, also tells NutritionInsight.

“This is why in the ProFuture project, a complete range of new products incorporating microalgae ingredients will be developed and tested with consumers, including bread, pasta and baked goods, vegan meat sausages, energetic bars and drinks.”

Microalgae’s potential for nutrition industry
According to the ProFuture project, microalgae have huge potential for usage as ingredients in novel and environmentally friendly food and animal feed products.

In addition to having a high protein content, microalgae are advantageous as a dietary source since they include essential nutrients such as phenolic compounds, vitamins and minerals.

“Microalgae can offer high protein content and could be an alternative to animal-based sources,” says Castellari. “The crude protein content of microalgae can reach 60% of dry matter, a value higher than that of dried skimmed milk (36%), soy flour (37%), chicken (24%), fish (24%) and peanuts (26%).”

Since microalgae ingredients have a complete necessary amino acid profile that is “superior” to that of soybeans or other plant sources, they are regarded as high-quality protein sources, Castellari explains.

They also contain valuable nutrients and active compounds such as unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, details Fanari.

“For their nutritional properties and positive environmental impact, microalgae ingredients can satisfy consumers’ growing interest for healthy, clean-label and [environmentally] sustainable food products,” he continues.

Overcoming formulation challenges
ProFuture adds that it is challenging to create new food products with enhanced nutritional benefits without compromising their sensory attributes, such as flavor and texture, which can prevent consumers from enjoying them.

In Europe, food products enriched with microalgae still can only be found in specialized retailers and shops (Credit: ProFuture).“Several bottlenecks still must be overcome to make the large-scale production of microalgal-based protein and ingredients as well as the incorporation of the algal material into palatable food preparations a reality,” details Fanari.

“The most important challenges are related to the high costs and low efficiencies of the processes currently available for microalgae production and processing.”

“To overcome the cost hurdle and make the microalgae value chain even more (environmentally) sustainable and economically feasible, ProFuture will implement and validate targeted innovations for cultivation and downstream processing to produce protein-rich ingredients from the microalgal biomasses in the framework of a biorefinery concept,” he adds.

Reducing carbon footprint, enhancing taste
Life Cycle Assessment studies will assess sustainability and economic viability across the entire value chain to reduce the carbon footprint.

“Challenges related to color and taste will be overcome by developing selected strains and protein isolates with more neutral sensorial traits, as well as choosing the best formulations and optimizing recipes,” says Castellari.

“For example, we obtained promising results working with vegetable creams when adding specific chlorella strains which did not cause relevant changes in the color, texture and taste.”

NutritionInsight previously reported on the stakeholder platform established by the European Commission to encourage the use of algae for nutrition and packaging. The project, known as EU4Algae, intends to hasten business development and consumer awareness in the EU.

Microalgae moves
Allmicroalgae and Algaplus highlighted their Algaessence, an algae blend-based immune booster, at last year’s Fi Europe. Within partnerships, AlgaEnergy entered an investment deal with Caixa Capital Risc to enhance its position within the microalgae space by developing microalgae biotech.

In other developments, the manufacturer of microalgae-based ingredients, Microphyt, unveiled a fully integrated microalgae biorefinery at its French headquarters.

Meanwhile, Yemoja introduced red microalgae bioactive ingredient that is pegged as having anti-aging, anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating characteristics. Additionally, it is designed for topical skin care treatments.

By Nicole Kerr