Jon Funderud1, Diogo Raposo1, Maren Sæther1, David Aldridge1, Ana Borrero1, Kristian Cato Haugen1, Andreas Lavik1, Frank Neumann1
1Seaweed Solutions AS, Bynesveien 50C, 7018 Trondheim, Norway
After more than a decade of small and pilot scale cultivation of seaweed in Europe, interest from the food industry in this healthy and sustainable resource is finally growing and reaching levels where supply is struggling to keep up with demand. In Norway, the focus is on two species of kelp: Saccharina latissima and Alaria esculenta both of which are successfully being cultivated at several small farms along the Norwegian coast. For these species to become mainstream food ingredients, there are several challenges which must be solved, including scaling of sea farms and sea operations, definition of the ideal processing forms (e.g. freezing, drying, blanching or fermentation) and quality issues including contents of unwanted compounds (iodine, arsenic and allergens) as well as stability in product properties (dry matter, chemical composition, texture and taste). This contribution gives an overview of the present and near-future issues for offshore-farmed kelp in Norway both from a production perspective and in the light of market uncertainties. Final product types and the present status of the sector’s development are discussed.