Seaweed food may usher in investment boom, Asia-Pacific market is growing fast

Algae may surpass soybeans and become the largest source of alternative protein

The protein ingested by the human body can be divided into two categories: animal protein and plant protein. Animal protein is more easily absorbed by the body, and also contains the necessary amino acids required by the body, but its shortcoming is that the saturated fatty acids contained in the animal protein will also Causes cardiovascular and cerebrovascular effects. Excessive intake may increase the risk of coronary heart disease. With the improvement of people's quality of life, the demand for protein has also increased, but the protein production gap is still large, so people began to pursue different sources of protein-plant protein.

Most of the hot artificial meat in the investment industry is made from soybeans and peas. UBS Group (UBS) predicts that the vegetable protein market will grow rapidly in the next decade. UBS predicts that by 2030, the size of the global plant protein market will soar from the current US $ 4.6 billion to US $ 85 billion, while the size of the broader agricultural technology market is expected to expand more than five-fold.

The study found that edible algae contains the 8 essential amino acids that are essential for the human body, and is reasonably composed, and has an adjunct therapeutic effect on various diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, etc. It can be said that algae are an excellent source of protein.


Similar to traditional sources such as soybeans, whey, and peas, algae proteins have generated great appeal in the nutritious food industry because of their rich nutrients.

The rich nutritional content of algae foods and other health-related factors are driving the development of its global market. In addition, sustainability issues, such as the increase in greenhouse gases and the loss of biodiversity during meat production, have also caused consumers ’preference for protein to shift to plants and other alternative sources.

Algal protein will be an important raw material for protein foods in the future. The ability of microalgae to accumulate protein is the highest among algae. The protein content of some chlorella and spirulina can reach 70% of the dry weight. The dried algae powder is almost equivalent to concentration Protein powder. Removal of fat and cellulose can achieve the standard of protein separation. This advantage is unmatched by terrestrial plants. In addition to the high protein content, there are four main advantages over plant proteins:

Controllability-As a single-cell or multi-cell algae, microalgae has high controllability in growth characteristics and product composition. This is due to its billions of years of evolution. By changing the nutrient elements in the medium, the protein, oil and some high-value secondary metabolites in the microalgae cells can be induced and regulated to achieve the goal of obtaining the target product with maximum efficiency.

Industrial production-the industrial chain structure of plant protein is agriculture + industry, and algae protein is pure industrial production, from algae cultivation to protein output, it is a combination of bioengineering and chemical engineering, and it is a way to completely get rid of agriculture. . This also determines its high degree of controllability, not only high production efficiency, but also controllable food safety, quality and price.

The output per unit of land is extremely high. Take the spirulina cultivated in the runway pond as an example. Its annual output of spirulina powder per mu (the protein content is 60%) reaches more than 900 kg, which is two orders of magnitude higher than soybean protein and pea protein. It has a high degree of production intensification and a flexible layout of origin.

Environmentally friendly, low-carbon or even negative-carbon production-microalgae production does not involve chemical fertilizers and pesticides, water resources can also be recycled, and there is basically no waste discharge. In particular, the photo-autotrophic-heterotrophic hybrid culture method is used, and its carbon emission is significantly lower than that of plant protein production, and even negative carbon production can be achieved.

In terms of application, the algae protein market can be subdivided into dietary supplements, food and beverages, animal feed, cosmetics, etc. Due to the reduction in cultivated land area and the increase in the dependence on existing land and the increase in fertility caused by population growth, the proportion of protein "deficiency" in animal feed is increasing. Now, the proportion of algae as a substitute for cattle feed is increasing.

Since soybean has become the main raw material for cattle feed, the trend of using microbial protein instead of grain in some animal feed is becoming more and more obvious. Soybean is a nutritious crop that accounts for a considerable proportion of the global human diet. Therefore, research proves that by 2026, the replacement of soybean meal with algae will increase the global market value of algal protein.

The global market is growing steadily, and Spirulina is receiving much attention

It is estimated that the global algal protein market size was US $ 690.8 million in 2018 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6% during this period. By 2023, the global scale of algal protein will reach 1.2 billion US dollars. Among algae products, spirulina has the highest market share in 2018, accounting for nearly 54% of market revenue.

According to a 2018 report from the European Commission, in the European Union, the algae biomass industry is worth 1.69 billion euros, with 14,000 employees engaged in R & D and supply chain work. The report states: "Increasing algae in Western diets may help meet some of the food production needs associated with anticipated population growth." Dietary supplement companies such as NOW Foods and Vimergy LLC have begun to provide products containing algae proteins.

The source of algae protein can be divided into two categories: seaweed and freshwater algae.

There are two types of marine algae, microalgae and macroalgae, which are rich in minerals and vitamins, and are widely used in the nutritious food industry. Among them, macroalgae can also be called seaweed, it is an important source of important nutrients and new biologically active molecules. Red and brown seaweeds contain a variety of nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals and protein, and are a good source of essential fatty acids. It is expected that in the next few years, the annual compound growth rate of the seaweed sector will be relatively high, exceeding 7.5%.

Freshwater algae (such as spirulina and chlorella) accounted for nearly 69% of the industry's total revenue in 2018, mainly spirulina. Many companies, including Cyanotech and EID Perry, cultivate algae in ponds and photobioreactors, mainly using fresh water.

Chlorella is a single-celled microalgae that grows mainly in fresh water (mostly in Japan and Taiwan). It contains 50-60% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbohydrate, 5% fiber and 10% minerals and vitamins.

Another kind of algae-spirulina dry weight protein content is about 50% -70% (while soybean flour contains only 35% protein). Compared with other microorganisms, spirulina's low nucleic acid content, high concentration of vitamins and minerals, and easy digestion of cell walls attract many food or feed manufacturers. According to the latest report of EABA and Research, the global spirulina market is expected to start from 2019 The year began to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.4%, reaching $ 629.6 million by 2025. In terms of quantity, the compound annual growth rate of this market is expected to reach 13.6% from 2019, and will reach 68025.2 tons by 2025.

Spirulina has become a highly regarded protein source in the food industry and is considered to be the algae with the most potential to produce single-cell protein. After the publication of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's research on spirulina, it was recognized as "one of the best sources of protein" and "the most ideal food for humankind in the world."

At present, there are nearly 70 spirulina factories in China, with an annual output of more than 9,000 tons, accounting for more than 60% of the global market, and is a major producer of spirulina. Data from startup research firm Beauhurst shows that over the past eight years, funds raised by British companies that produce or use algae in food and beverages have increased by nearly 2000%. In 2011, three transactions in this area were co-financing 314,200 pounds, and in 2018, seven transactions raised a total of 6.4 million pounds.

Seaweed food may usher in investment boom, Asia-Pacific market is growing fast

The global demand for protein is driven by socio-economic changes, such as increasing income, accelerating urbanization, and aging population, so that the contribution of protein to healthy aging is gradually recognized, and people are recognized that protein is in The role of healthy eating. Increasing economic development and urbanization are leading to a major shift in the population-level dietary pattern, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Most of the increase in global demand for animal-derived foods has occurred in developing countries.

Alternative proteins represent a rapidly emerging new field in the food system. Spirulina has many disease-resistant properties such as fiber and phytonutrients, and these properties do not exist in animal proteins. To meet growing demand, manufacturers are developing the potential of chlorella and phytoplankton as important strains of the algae protein industry.

According to a report from Future Market Insights, North America occupies the main revenue share of the global algae protein market, followed by Europe. These two markets are expected to continue to grow moderately. The increase in demand for natural food additives and dietary supplements in the Asia-Pacific market will be the fastest.

After nearly 30 years of vigorous development, China has become a major microalgae producer in the world, and the national consumption of it has also increased. The National Nutrition Plan (2017-2030) issued by the State Council previously pointed out that by 2030, the national residents ’diet should reduce animal protein intake by 50%. The reduced animal protein is replaced by plant protein, and algal protein is an important substitute Choose one.

Microalgae was widely promoted as a food resource in the 1960s, but was constrained by the technical level at that time and the lack of research on microalgae. Its production situation was limited to extensive cultivation, poor quality, and no deep processing. Has not become a reliable food resource.

Later, due to its efficient oil production characteristics and the energy crisis, people began to pay attention to microalgae again. But from microalgae to fuel still needs a lot of industrial chain integration and technological breakthroughs. At this stage, high cost is still the bottleneck restricting microalgae bioenergy.

Nowadays, microalgae have been successfully applied to the production of functional food raw materials, and the development of microalgae culture characteristics and metabolic mechanisms have been greatly developed. In addition, people also have a certain understanding of microalgae. The development of microalgae in new food resources, especially protein resources, will become a hot spot in food technology, and a number of startup companies with microalgae concepts will also be born.