6 Innovations in Marine Functional Foods with the Most Potential

Nutraceutical ingredients from the ocean are changing. Innovative companies and research institutes are looking for new solutions to old 'drugs', for example, in some cases re-engineering well-known ingredients.

Many years ago, marine nutraceuticals were limited to those that were sourced from the high seas or farmed near the coast. Today, many marine nutraceuticals are farmed in closed systems above the sun or in dark rooms.

Ultimately, of course, only high consumer demand can turn innovations in marine health into high sales. Today, though, let's take a closer look at some of the recent new products and see how they're made, consumers, and use.

Innovation 1: Yeast-derived astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant, usually derived from algae. It can give aquatic animals (such as salmon, crabs) their characteristic red color. Astaxanthin has inspired many sports supplements as well as general health products over the years. However, astaxanthin doesn't just come from algae. Astaxanthin can also be found in a special yeast (Phaffia rhodozyma), and now a startup is commercializing it.

Using yeast fermentation technology, NextFerm, located in Yoknim, Israel, is producing large quantities of yeast-derived astaxanthin for use as a dietary supplement.

Unlike seaweed-derived astaxanthin, one of the key advantages of this yeast-derived astaxanthin is that it is colorless and odorless. Many algae-derived astaxanthin has brought many difficulties to product development due to its fishy smell or taste. In order to mask the inherent taste of astaxanthin, product developers have to use flavors or fragrances, and make them in the form of soft capsules. But now, the colorless and odorless yeast astaxanthin offers new opportunities.

The Purity Products brand has been using NextFerm's astaxanthin in astaxanthin capsules since last fall, said Elzaphan Hotam, NextFerm's vice president of global marketing. Hotam expects other brands to launch similar products soon.

Innovation 2: Mineral-rich Icelandic red algae

Icelandic red algae (Lithothamnium spp) are prized for their natural abundance of calcium, magnesium and trace minerals, which are absorbed by Icelandic red algae from the surrounding seawater. Cork, Ireland-based Marigo is collecting the detached leaves of this red algae from the ocean and mixing it in a health product called Aquamin.

Current research suggests that a combination of the aforementioned red algae, seawater magnesium, and pine bark extract, marketed commercially as Aquamin-Plus, may be more effective in treating osteoarthritis patients than the popular glucosamine. In a recent study of more than 300 people with mild symptoms of knee arthritis, subjects reported that supplementation with Aquamin-Plus improved physical function and reduced exposure to pain medication compared to glucosamine. 

While glucosamine has long been a popular dietary supplement in the joint health space, plant-based alternatives like Aquamin-Plus may be more appealing to consumers looking for plant-based ingredients, especially if research continues The use of this recipe is supported.

Innovation 3: Non-green Chlorella

Chlorella vulgaris is a freshwater algae rich in vitamins, minerals, and chlorophyll. While green is often a desirable characteristic of chlorella-containing supplements, this is not always the case.

Chlorella has a very strong flavor and smell. So what if there was a chlorella that didn't have a strong color, taste and smell? To be sure, this will open up new opportunities for food and health products containing chlorella.

Portuguese scientists working for academic institutions and Allmicroalgae Natural Products SA in Patayas, Portugal, created two such chlorella species last year. The results of their research have been published, and the resulting variety is now the company's product at scale.

By exposing cells of wild-type chlorella to ultraviolet light and chemical agents, the scientists were able to develop yellow and white varieties of chlorella that are relatively soft in texture and milder in taste and smell. In addition, the protein content is also higher than wild chlorella. At the same time that the chlorophyll content of these two species of chlorella plummeted, the active progesterone they contained rose sharply: lutein (yellow) and phytoene (colorless).

These breakthroughs in the development of Chlorella have been successfully scaled, and scientists believe they could be used in large quantities in animal raw materials, human foods, and dietary supplements. The random mutation used to create these varieties "is a valuable cell modification tool for food applications because it is not considered a genetically modified product," the researchers said.

Innovation 4: Other fatty acids from the ocean

The fish oil market is known for two health-promoting fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). However, Epax Norway AS, a developer of fish oil ingredients based in Alesund, Norway, wants the public to know that there are more than 30 different naturally occurring fatty acids in the ocean. While the vast majority of existing health research has focused on EPA and DHA, Epax is looking to change that.

With substantial funding from the Norwegian government, Epax has entered into a research project with the Norwegian Institute for Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture (NOFIMA) to evaluate other fatty acids. Using cells and animal models, scientists will explore the potentially beneficial effects of these little-known fatty acids on skin health, eye health and fertility. The first results from Epax and NOFIMA are likely to be published later this year.

If the results are positive, Epax is expected to incorporate these new fatty acids into its upcoming Novus Lipid line of fish oil products. At the same time, the company will continue its efforts to improve production and analytical methods to appropriately scale up the development of these new fatty acid products.

Innovation 5: Waste recycling

In the process of obtaining valuable health ingredients from the ocean every year, waste is inevitable. Reuse of waste can provide raw material suppliers with an additional revenue stream, while benefiting their corporate responsibility profile and protecting the environment on which they depend to sustainably produce resources. In this spirit, Aker BioMarine, a raw material supplier for krill in Oslo, Norway, has made recycling plastic waste part of its business.

In December, Aker announced the formation of a new company called AION, which is dedicated to recycling plastic waste and bio-residue waste generated in Aker's supply network into new products. Now AION has found its first starting point. Fast food giant McDonald's is using trays made from these ocean plastics. So, will other raw material suppliers that generate a lot of waste do similar reuse and recycling efforts in the future?

Innovation 6: Fucoidan

Brown algae have been used for culinary and medicinal purposes for centuries. In recent years, Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) and Fucus vesiculosus have successfully attracted ingredient processing companies.

Marinova Pty. Ltd. of Cambridge, Australia, and Vesta Nutra of Indianapolis have spent years researching the components of these seaweeds, developing businesses around their active ingredient, fucoidan. This compound is found in other marine organisms, such as sea cucumbers, but seaweeds are the raw material of choice for extracting fucoidan because they renew quickly and can be obtained from clean, unpolluted waters.

Research suggests that fucoidan has a range of potential uses, including improving skin health, athletic performance, and immune health. Recently, Marinova published a review of research supporting the use of fucose in the treatment of lung injury and viral infections. Several studies have shown that 3, fucoidan ingredients may enhance the body's immune response, activate certain cells important to the immune system, and even inhibit allergic reactions.

With the increasing demand for immune health ingredients, especially plant-based immune health ingredients, the demand for fucose as an immune health ingredient is also increasing.