Project summary

There is a growing need to produce more food in a sustainable way. In this context, kelp aquaculture is considered being a part of the solution for the sustainable production of food and animal feed.

Kelp biomass can be cultivated on a large scale in coastal areas without the need for chemicals or fertilizers, and without competing for freshwater or soil resources. If properly regulated, it will also provide ecosystem services, such as supporting biodiversity and help mitigate CO2 emissions and eutrophication.

Kelps are also a rich source of nutrients, taste and other bioactive substances with a large potential in food applications. There are some critical challenges for the food industry to a broader use of this new resource such as the reduction of iodine and potential allergens present.

SusKelpFood is a collaborative research project between nordic (Norway, Denmark and Iceland) research institutions, a major food producer (Orkla Foods Norge) and norwegian kelp producers. The main objective is to promote innovative solutions for the sustainable production of safe, nutritious, and flavorful ingredients from cultivated kelps for the food industry. Research activities includes: 

• Testing and optimizing  energy-efficient processes (e.g. fermentation and acid preservation) to conserve and prepare cultivated kelps for large-scale food applications in a sustainable way.
• Characterizing the food safety (presence of contaminants, iodine, food allergens) and nutritional profiles of kelp ingredients produced from different processes.
• Develop a sensory vocabulary for kelp as food and identify flavour and aroma changes from relevant processing methods.
• Identify consumer perceptions and attitudes towards foods with macroalgae through consumer surveys and interviews
• Developing viable product prototypes and testing on consumer panel
• Assessing the sustainability of a broader inclusion of kelp in food applications.

Results from above-listed research activities are reported in SusKelpFood's publications including both scientific articles and popular-scientific communications. 

Work packages and leaders:

	WP1 Post-harvest processes WP1L Dr. Dagbjørn Skipnes (NOFIMA)
	WP2 Product safety and retention of nutrients WPL Dr. Arne Duinker (Institute of Marine Reasearch)
	WP3 Sensory profiling and flavour compounds WPL Wenche Emblem Larssen (Møreforsking)
	WP4 Food product development and consumer evaluation WPL Dr. Rita Nilsen McStay (Orkla Foods Norway)
	WP5 Sustainability evaluation and value chain analysis WPL Dr. Céline Rebours (Møreforsking)
	WP6 Management and communication WPL Dr. Pierrick Stévant (Møreforsking), co-WPL Dr. Arne Duinker (Institute of Marine Reasearch)

Source of financing: The Research Council of Norway