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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.

The 2017 Algae Biomass Summit convened in Salt Lake City last month, and for those of you that were not able to attend, we can report that the event was one of our most successful showcases of the countless applications for algae that are developing in hundreds of markets.

Researchers, entrepreneurs, government agencies and investors had a chance to mingle, exchange information, and plan ahead for new initiatives in R&D and commercial partnerships. Some of the most dynamic topics included:

Water Quality and Nutrient Recovery

Microalgae-based approaches to nutrient recovery were even more popular this year, with new projects underway that harness algae in recovering excess nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients from municipal, industrial, and agriculture sources. Leading algae water treatment technology developers, utilities, and other players joined several sessions at the Summit, and nearly 25% of all Summit attendees signed up for the special tour of water treatment facilities that use algae technology in the Salt Lake area.

Health & Nutrition

Few sectors in the algae industry have seen more commercial progress than food and supplements such as omega-3 oils, which are invaluable as antioxidants, immune stimulants and anti-inflammatory ingredients. From new brands such as iWi from Qualitas Health, to the food ventures like Nonfood and Algama, algae are increasingly being looked to as a sustainable source of alternative proteins and plant-based ingredients. Many of these were featured at the Summit’s Algae Product Showcase, a dynamic display in the exhibit hall that gave attendees a chance to see first-hand a number of new and innovative algae products that are hitting the shelves.

Energy and Manufacturing

We all know that algae are a promising technology platform for manufacturing and energy, and developments discussed at the Summit demonstrate this path is still wide open. Summit attendees learned about the latest algae-based systems for CO2 mitigation that are being actively demonstrated at multiple power plants and manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Algal systems are also being used in manufacturing, with companies such as Algix stimulating excitement for their plastics and foams that are in use by a number of major product manufactures.

One lesson from 2017 is that the potential for algae seems endless! We saw more possibilities than ever before, and we saw more commercial products for consumers and services for municipalities and other partners.

We are putting the finishing touches on plans for 2018 Algae Biomass Summit! Keep your eyes open and be ready to make plans for the most important event in the algae industry.

See first-hand how algae is being used to recycle waste into value in
advanced water treatment operations during this tour only available to attendees of the Algae Biomass Summit in Salt Lake City.  Tour stops include:

South Davis Sewer District Plant: See how CLEARAS Water Recovery’s Advanced Biological Nutrient Recovery (ABNR™) technology is being used to recover phosphorous and nitrogen from wastewater, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, produce clean, recoverable water, and generate revenue from valuable co-products. 

Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility: See an algal biofilm technology applied for both wastewater remediation and bioproduct production at the largest municipal wastewater reclamation plant in Utah, processing in excess of 65 million gallons per day.

Salt Lake Algal Bloom Inspection: Learn about the types of green algae that are presenting challenges for recreation and irrigation, and the research approaches being implemented for the protection of human health and environment.