Are algae the food of the future?

The European Commission wants to stimulate the cultivation of algae. These microscopic creatures are filled with fats and proteins and are therefore a useful addition to our diet. Are algae the food of the future?

Maria Barbosa, professor of Bioprocess Engineering, studies algae and how best to grow them. In the scientific journal Trends in Biotechnology Barbosa and her colleagues describe the developments, opportunities and challenges of algae cultivation as well as the current state of the microalgal field. “We have seen a lot of movement in the last years.”

Considerable shift 

Algae cultivation has made a considerable shift over the past five years. First, the field of algae cultivation is maturing: technology is making significant leaps forward, and we are learning more and more about how to manipulate algae, for example by making adjustments to the DNA. Secondly, the society is becoming increasingly aware of the consequences of our behaviour in relation to the environment.

Maria Barbosa: “Currently, we only grow 75,000 tons of algae per year worldwide. If we want to use algae in our food on a large scale, that amount needs to be increased considerably. The European Commission now subsidises large algae farms, making it possible to grow more algae. So the ruling of the European Commission will definitely help us to move to a larger scale.”

Products made with algae on a large scale

Now that there is more subsidy, algae cultivation is gaining momentum. Barbosa: “More algae cultivation means more product development. Once researchers at universities and small companies design and test products on a larger scale, they will also attract the attention of the industry. Companies are more likely to invest if they are confident the product can be produced in large quantities and has a chance of success on the market. Therefore, I expect that food made from algae will be very common in five to ten years.”

Wur.nl