Seaweed nutraceuticals: a new wave in wellness

A company is cultivating a more robust seaweed industry by focusing on high-value, downstream products

Spotted: According to a World Bank report, ten emerging global seaweed markets have a potential growth of up to $11.8 billion by 2030. However, the industry also faces challenges – one is that growers can’t raise investment without profitable long-term offtake agreements from processors, but processors can’t flourish without affordable and reliable local supply.

Seaweed startup BioMara has developed a way to work around this mismatch between production costs for growers and the prices processors are prepared to pay. BioMara did this by moving downstream in the value chain – developing seaweed-based products that allow them to pay farmers more for their seaweed, while still earning a profit.

The company uses bioprocessing technology to add value to the seaweed by developing food ingredients and fucoidans, which are long-chain polysaccharides found in brown algae and used in dietary supplements, skincare products, food and beverages, and medical and pharmaceutical research. BioMara’s Fucoidan Complex product, for instance, can be used as a nutraceutical to improve gut health, while its Beta Glucan Essence improves the anti-ageing and moisturising properties of skincare formulas.

Because BioMara’s products are low volume and high value, they can afford to pay farmers enough to let them grow and expand their output – helping to scale the entire industry. Adding value is especially important for seaweed businesses based in places like the UK and Scandinavia, where the cost of growing and harvesting is high.

BioMara is currently working on scaling up production and has plans for a demonstration-scale facility in the UK to process over 1,000 tonnes of fresh seaweed a year. The company is also participating in a £600,0000 Innovate UK-funded project called Better Food for All, in collaboration with Abertay University and food manufacturer Macphie.

Written By: Lisa Magloff