Author: Carrie Cox

Triton Algae Innovations is one of several ABO members that are bringing the full potential of algae into many of the foods we eat. They recently received a certification that will make it easier for their algae ingredients to make it to the table.

Algae are incredible sources of Omega-3 oils, vitamins, minerals and especially protein. They can also be grown much more sustainably than any other crop, without the requirements of fertile soils, freshwater or many other inputs required of more traditional crops.

This month Triton announced that after a rigorous evaluation its wild-type algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (c. reinhardtii) has achieved Independent Conclusion of GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status. The status gives Triton’s product a science-based underpinning for use in foods and beverages, such as nutrition bars, cereals, yogurts, juices, energy drinks and more.

Triton has also developed a proprietary process in which this same algae is used to express a variety of different proteins which occur naturally in the breast milk of all mammals, including humans. To date, there has been no commercially viable source of these proteins, which can come with much-needed health benefits, including reduced occurrences of intestinal distress and fever, as well as positive impacts on cognitive development.

It’s a great milestone for Triton, and for a global food industry that is looking for more viable alternatives to existing protein sources, or for healthy products that can meet a growing demand for vegan and vegetarian foods.

Learn more at Triton Algae Innovations

The F3-Future of Fish Feed is currently seeking competitors to join a global race to innovate cost-competitive alternatives to fish oil. The F3 Fish Oil Challenge will award $100,000+ to the company or team that makes and sells the most fish-free “fish oil” to aquaculture operators or feed manufacturers. The global fish oil market is projected to reach over $4 billion by 2021, and the rapidly expanding global aquaculture industry is the greatest source of demand for these essential fatty acids, known as omega-3s and 6. Demand for fish oil as an ingredient in dietary supplements and pet food is also on the rise. Fish oil replacements will help take pressure off dwindling wild fish populations to supply these essential nutrients for farm-raised fish while at the same time remove a bottleneck to growth in the aquaculture industry.

Algae-based feeds can make a difference! Algae can be grown without impacts on natural fish stocks, and their high omega-3 content can make them a sustainable alternative to fish oil.

To learn more and register to compete, visit: www.f3challenge.org.

Is your holiday party schedule full? Do you need some good fodder for small talk with family, friends and coworkers? ABO’s annual list of holiday party talking points is here. Keep these handy and you’ll always be able to focus the conversion onto algae.

Everybody can get behind algae

Algae is the crop of the future, and it has so many applications that supporting this technology isn’t a partisan issue. There’s even a Congressional Algae Caucus of Democrats and Republicans working together to advance algae’s potential as a solution to many of the food, economic, and environmental challenges facing the world today. 

Who’s doing the dishes? Water down the drain might be headed for treatment with algae

One of the fastest growing applications for algae is in wastewater treatment, and it’s proving to be a win-win. At the Algae Biomass Summit this year a tour showed off an advanced system in Salt Lake City built by CLEARAS Water Recovery. The plant is going to grow algae as part of the treatment process, removing phosphorus or other nutrients, and even capturing greenhouse gases. It’s one example among hundreds of others in the US and the world where algae is cleaning our water.

Is there algae on the menu?

Advanced algae cultivation and harvesting technologies are just beginning to have an impact in what we eat.

One trailblazing company recently put an algae-based nutrition bar on the market. Others are creating algae cooking oils, mayo, omega-3 nutritional ingredients and more!

Working off the extra pounds gained during the holidays? Strap on a pair of algae shoes, or grab an algae surfboard! 

ABO member Algix worked with their partners at Vivo Barefoot to deliver the first algae-based shoes, perfect for working out. And at UC-San Diego the first algae surfboards are being made. Get yours at the Algae Foundation’s online auction underway right now!

Kick back with our algae cocktail of 2018: The algae colada!

It may be cold outside but we can still reminisce about warm weather. Grab your favorite algae smoothie and mix up our take on the pina colada.

Ingredients:
3 oz (3 parts) prepared juice or smoothie with algae (we like Odwalla’s “Original Superfood”)
1 oz (one part) White rum
1 oz (one part) Coconut cream

Preparation: Mix with crushed ice until smooth. Pour into chilled glass, garnish and serve.

Happy Holidays from the team at the Algae Biomass Organization!

One of a kind items, cool experiences, and great algae products!

If you were at last month’s Algae Biomass Summit you probably remember getting a sneak peek at the Nonbar by Nonfood— an algae-based nutrition bar that’s leading a revolution in how, and what, we eat.

Today, Nonfood is putting the Nonbar on the market. With their first batch consisting of only 2,500 Nonbars, this ready-to-eat food product boasts algae as its main ingredient. This vegan treat offers a full spectrum of nutrients, as it’s high in protein, low in carbohydrates, has less than a gram of sugar and is full of iron, calcium, vitamins and antioxidants.

Why the “Non” you ask? Well, according to Los Angeles-based Nonfood, “Every food was once a nonfood. The food we eat today is completely unlike what people ate 200 years ago. Culture changes. Non-foods become foods. We are embracing new food options to build a healthy and sustainable future. Evolve your taste by trying something new and unfamiliar.”

Visit eatnonfood.com/products/nonbar to buy Nonbar today!

Those of us at ABO will be sure to buy several and share them with friend and family. Be part of the revolution to bring this crop of the future—algae—in to the hands of consumers everywhere.

The Nonbar is 42% algae and aquatic plant ingredients (far more than virtually any other ready-to-eat product). Its current form includes “spirulina” (arthrospira platensis), lemna (fast growing aquatic plant), and nannochloropsis.

If you can wait, Nonfood also plans to bring their product to two upcoming events, including the opening of Genre-Nonconforming: The DIS Edutainment Network at De Young Museum in San Francisco on December 3, and again on December 13 at the FOOD-X/SOSV Demo Day for food and tech startups in New York.