Seaweeds in Food: Current Trends

Abstract

Edible seaweeds are an excellent source of macronutrients, micronutrients, and bioactive compounds, and they can be consumed raw or used as ingredients in food products. However, seaweeds may also bioaccumulate potentially hazardous compounds for human health and animals, namely, heavy metals. Hence, the purpose of this review is to analyze the recent trends of edible seaweeds research: (i) nutritional composition and bioactive compounds, (ii) the use and acceptability of seaweeds in foodstuffs, (iii) the bioaccumulation of heavy metals and microbial pathogens, and (iv) current trends in Chile for using seaweeds in food. In summary, while it is evident that seaweeds are consumed widely worldwide, more research is needed to characterize new types of edible seaweeds as well as their use as ingredients in the development of new food products. Additionally, more research is needed to maintain control of the presence of heavy metals to assure a safe product for consumers. Finally, the need to keep promoting the benefits of seaweed consumption is emphasized, adding value in the algae-based production chain, and promoting a social algal culture.

Determinants of Consumers’ Acceptance and Adoption of Novel Food in View of More Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems in the EU: A Systematic Literature Review

“…A thorough analysis of the main drivers and barriers of consumers' acceptance of novel food is beneficial to assess the feasibility of introducing these products in the EU food system. In this sense, there are numerous reviews dedicated to this topic but most of them deal with a specific novel food, especially insects (e.g., [12][13][14][15]), algae (e.g., [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]), cultured meat (e.g., [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]), or plant-based analogues (e.g., [38][39][40][41][42][43][44]), while very few provide an overview of different novel foods covering both perceptive and psychological determinants of consumer acceptance [45][46][47][48][49] with only four articles adopting a systematic review approach [45][46][47]50], and none of them including an analysis of the quality of the studies. Another gap in the literature is that existing reviews rarely consider the sensory needs of vulnerable target populations such as children and the elderly …”

Discovery of novel RNA viruses in commercially relevant seaweedsAlaria esculentaandSaccharina latissima

“…Seaweeds, i.e. macroalgae, are gaining traction as sustainable food source (Rogel-Castillo et al, 2023). However, with respect to pathogens, large scale production of seaweed is facing the same challenges as commercially grown land crops (Savery et al,.…”

Variation in heavy metals concentrations among seaweed species from Mkwiro seaweed farm, Kwale County, Kenya

“…By 2019, an overwhelming 97% of global mariculture production was attributed to cultivated seaweeds, with the remaining fraction stemming from natural stocks (Zhang et al, 2022). Notably, Asian countries, primarily led by China and Indonesia, collectively contribute around 98% of the world's total seaweed production (Rogel-Castillo et al, 2023). In recent years, European nations have displayed a growing interest in seaweed cultivation and utilization (Campbell et al, 2019).…”

“…However, unlike the predominant cultivation methods prevalent in Asian nations, most of Europe's macroalgae production comes from natural seaweed beds (Zhang et al, 2022). In stark contrast, Africa lags behind in both the production and utilization of macroalgae (Msuya et al, 2022), contributing to only 0.4% of the world's total production (Rogel-Castillo et al, 2023). Nevertheless, in the warm waters of Tanzania, Madagascar, and South Africa, some commonly farmed seaweeds include Kappaphycus spp., Eucheuma spp., Ulva spp., and Gracilaria spp.…”