ALGFLAVOR

Description

As society shifts away from animal-based diets driven by environmental sustainability, health, and animal welfare concerns, both seaweeds and microalgae (referred to as algae) have emerged as promising sustainable food sources due to their carbon capture capabilities and interesting nutrient profile, including proteins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids. Despite their potential, the widespread adoption of algal biomass in food faces significant hurdles on the European markets, primarily stemming from consumer acceptance regarding their impact on taste, aroma, and visual appeal in food products.  

AlgFlavor addresses several knowledge gaps and challenges hindering the integration of algae into European diets. Recent research shows the broad diversity of flavor profiles among different algae, which also depend on cultivation and processing conditions. The potential of specific marine algae was highlighted for developing seafood alternatives due to their intrinsic seafood flavor. AlgFlavor will identify the optimal cultivation and processing conditions to improve the seafood flavor of the algae. Production conditions with desired flavor qualities will then be scaled while maintaining consistency. Through in-depth flavor analysis and consumer acceptance tests, AlgFlavor seeks to enable efficient formulation of food containing algae, focusing on seafood alternatives. Furthermore, the behavior of algal flavor within different food matrices (e.g. lipids, protein or carbohydrates), in presence of flavor enhancers as well as after different types of processing or storage will be investigated; both as model systems and food products. AlgFlavor prioritizes consumer engagement to increase awareness and acceptance of algal-containing food products, thereby promoting healthier and more sustainable dietary choices. Furthermore, environmental, social, and economic impacts of algal production and the algal-containing food will be integrated in AlgFlavor. A risk-benefit study will be carried out to evaluate the effects of consuming algal-containing food products. This assessment will focus on the nutritional impacts and claims of incorporating these food formulations into the regular diets of different population groups within the studied areas. 

AlgFlavor adopts a multidisciplinary approach encompassing cultivation science, food technology, food chemistry, sensory evaluation, consumer behavior research, and sustainability and risk-benefit assessment. This approach will bridge the gap between algal producers and the food industry, creating a resilient blue economy. By supporting the growth of the seafood alternatives sector using low trophic species, the project has a positive environmental impact through reducing the pressure on marine animal stocks. As a result, AlgFlavor aligns with the EU's Blue Bioresources priority area by promoting sustainable food production and reducing pressure on marine ecosystems.
 

Coordinator: Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, ILVO, Belgium

Partners: 

• Ghent University, UGent, Belgium
• Foundation for Dutch Scientific Research Institutes, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NWO-I, NIOZ), NIOZ, Netherlands
• Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, DTU, Denmark
• Nofima AS, Nofima, Norway
• University/research/testsite, Chalmers, Sweden
• S2AQUA - Collaborative Laboratory, Association for a Sustainable andSmart Aquaculture, S2AQUA, Portugal
• STRATAGEM ENERGY LTD, STRATA, Cyprus
• Agriculture Research Brazilian Company, Embrapa, Brazil