{"id":50702,"date":"2025-05-19T20:48:43","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T18:48:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/?p=50702"},"modified":"2025-05-20T10:06:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T08:06:34","slug":"seaweed-a-hidden-resource-beneath-the-surface","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/en\/news\/seaweed-a-hidden-resource-beneath-the-surface","title":{"rendered":"Seaweed: A Hidden Resource Beneath the Surface"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \"Swedish\n

Swedish seaweed farming is still small, but growing. Good natural conditions for farming and increased engagement in seaweed as an ingredient shows potential. Image: Nordic SeaFarm.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Beneath the surface lies a valuable resource, with the potential to play an important role in the food systems of the future. Seaweed is sustainable, resource efficient and incredibly versatile \u2013 yet in Sweden, its potential remains largely untapped. Knowledge about seaweed\u2019s nutritional values and uses is limited in many European contexts, and its taste is unfamiliar to most. The SensAlg project explores how Swedish-grown seaweed can make the journey from sea to plate at a time when food security and resource efficient alternatives are becoming more important.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Could Seaweed Be Our Greatest Untapped Resource?<\/h4>\n

Globally, there are estimated to be over 70,000 species of algae, in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and textures. Seaweed is the common name for perennial macroalgae, and often refers to brown algae such as sugar kelp and bladderwrack, but also some red and green algae. This underwater crop contains nutrients such as protein, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and several minerals and vitamins. Some species, like sea lettuce, even contain biologically active vitamin B12 \u2013 a nutrient that is otherwise very rare in plant-based foods.<\/p>\n

Seaweed grows rapidly without requiring freshwater, fertilizers, or arable land \u2013 making it a low-impact resource with high regenerative potential that doesn\u2019t strain the planet\u2019s limited natural resources. It also plays a key role in marine ecosystems by improving water quality through the uptake of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus from the ocean. Additionally, seaweed provides vital habitats for many marine species and organisms living beneath the surface. New applications and uses are emerging \u2013 primarily in food products, but also in areas such as animal feed, packaging, cosmetics, and bioenergy<\/a>. So why is this nutritious and resource-efficient underwater crop still so underutilized in Sweden and Europe? Besides a lack of regional infrastructure for cultivation and processing, the main reason is a lack of demand \u2013 simply because most people don\u2019t like the taste.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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\n \"Harvesting\n

Harvesting sugar kelp at Nordic SeaFarm\u2019s cultivation site on Sweden\u2019s west coast. Image: Nordic SeaFarm.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Sensory Research and Product Development with Swedish-Grown Seaweed<\/h4>\n

The challenge of the low awareness of seaweed\u2019s benefits and the limited regional demand \u2013 is what the SensAlg project seeks to address. The project examines the sensory properties of seaweed \u2013 such as its taste, texture, aroma, and appearance \u2013 with the aim of increasing knowledge about how Swedish-grown seaweed should be handled from cultivation to food product to be able to promote consumption. Axfoundation\u2019s role in the project, led by Uppsala University and involving a broad partner network, has included developing and testing products with Swedish seaweed at Tors\u00e5ker Farm, Axfoundations development center for future food and materials. The focus has been on integrating 10\u201320 percent frozen or fresh seaweed into the products, and not just using seaweed as a seasoning.<\/p>\n

Two species of seaweed were selected for product development: sugar kelp and sea lettuce. Sugar kelp provides stable, reliable harvests, while sea lettuce, with its slightly milder sea-flavor, is particularly suitable for new consumers that are more sensitive to the taste.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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\n \"Sugar\n

Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) is the most cultivated seaweed species in Sweden, according to 2022 figures. Image: Nordic SeaFarm<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Seaweed in Practice: From Smoothie to Soup<\/h4>\n

In Sweden, there’s no long tradition of eating seaweed, and Axfoundation has been trying to find Swedish contexts and products where it could fit in, both in terms of taste and texture. After product development at Tors\u00e5ker Farm, several dishes were tested in tasting sessions at a school in Uppsala in spring 2025. Two products stood out: a refreshing blueberry and seaweed smoothie made entirely from Swedish ingredients, and a hearty, vegan bouillabaisse. The results showed that seaweed is not only nutritious and sustainable \u2013 it can also be incredibly tasty, offering a sea-inspired flavor experience without animal products.<\/p>\n

One challenge with seaweed is the color \u2013 it oxidizes and turns brown when it comes into contact with acid, which makes it virtually impossible to maintain a green color in something like a smoothie. That\u2019s why we decided to combine seaweed with something that works well both in terms of appearance and flavour, and we landed on a blueberry and cinnamon smoothie \u2013 flavors that also balance and soften the oceanic notes of the seaweed.<\/p>\n