Seaweed surges as demand for clean label healthy snacking heats up

03 Aug 2021 --- The move to better-for-you and functional snacking has caused new ingredients – like seaweed – to come under the spotlight for their nutritional potential. In this space, Chile-based Amarea is focalizing how the underwater plant can tap into clean label demands.

Innova Market Insights reports that snack launches with seaweed as an ingredient have seen a CAGR of 16 percent from 2016 to 2020. Some of the most popular health positionings include No Additives/Preservatives and GMO-Free.

The market research notes that in Europe and North America, more specific clean label claims are taking the stage, often in combination with free-from claims that are more easily understood by consumers.

Embracing short ingredient lists
Amarea notes that many health foods snacks include “a host of unnecessary ingredients.” It argues that this can make it difficult for consumers to be informed about what they’re buying. 

Notably, a 2020 Innova survey found that 85 percent of consumers see product information as being of major importance and want to know what a product contains. 

Seaweed offers a formidable nutritional profile. “All too often, ‘healthy’ snacks replace low-quality ingredients with organic or allergy-sensitive alternatives. The specific elements used to create a recipe may change for the better, but at the end of the day, the quantity of ingredients too often remains mind-numbingly long,” the business states.

The brand limits each of its products to three ingredients. Usually, this consists of an oil, a flavoring – like sesame or olive – and the seaweed itself. 

The offerings are also gluten-free, keto-friendly and positioned as a healthy snack for any time of day or night. Notably, snacking is causing a shift away from traditional mealtimes, as conventional eating schedules break down. 

Packed with nutrients
Amarea works with a network of local enterprises to harvest “cochayuyo,” the name Chileans give to their indigenous brand of seaweed. 

Scientifically known as Durvillaea antarctica, the Chilean seaweed is positioned as a superfood that contains sodium, iodine, folic acid, calcium, potassium, chlorine, sulfur, phosphorus and vitamins A, B1, B12, C, D and E. 

Amarea recently entered the US health food marketplace, targeting further growth. Other regions are also picking up on the seaweed trend, with Australia’s marine bio-industries recently landing nearly AU$270 million (US$202 million). 

Meanwhile, The Dutch Weed Burger – which is being purchased by the Livekindly Collective – uses seaweed as a key ingredient in its plant-based offering. 

Edited by Katherine Durrell