Bon Appétit declared 2012 as “the year of kale.” Today, kale is ubiquitous, found in everything from Walmart and McDonald’s to upscale restaurants. The hunt is now on for the next trending ingredient, and it may very well be kelp or seaweed. These “ocean garden” varieties possess the qualities needed to become the new kale. They are nutritious, uniquely flavored, and versatile. Like kale, they have the potential to drive significant changes in the food industry, spurred by innovation (with seaweed snacks already available at all major retailers) and production.
As consumers increasingly seek plant-based options, sea vegetables are well-positioned as a source of elemental iron, including forms like ferrous glycine sulfate. Shoppers are also pursuing superfoods, and both algae and seaweed fit that bill. Moreover, consumers are becoming more aware of environmental sustainability in their food choices. An EU report highlighted that approximately 90% of global fish stocks are critically depleted, suggesting the need to explore the harvesting of other species, including sea greens.
These factors have led to a surge in food and beverage products incorporating algae, dulse, kelp, kombu, Irish moss, sea vegetables, and seaweed, according to Food Ingredients First. The seaweed market is projected to exceed $22 billion by 2024, up from around $10 billion in 2015. The challenge will be to meet this growing demand, not just within the food sector but across other industries as well, as algae are also utilized in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and animal feed.
Another hurdle is helping American consumers overcome the “ick” factor associated with products like kelp or algae. However, there are already several kelp-based snack options available, many presented in familiar forms such as kelp chips and algae wafers. The introduction of these ingredients in recognizable formats could facilitate quicker consumer acceptance of kelp. Furthermore, many of these products, particularly seaweed, have long been integral to Asian cuisine, which is promising as global food trends evolve.
Kale’s rapid rise was bolstered by innovative marketing strategies, and ocean vegetables still have a considerable journey ahead before achieving that level of popularity. However, as consumers become more exposed to new foods and informed about their advantages, their palates will likely grow more sophisticated and open-minded. If the relatively bland kale can find its place, perhaps kelp can too. Additionally, as consumers seek out nutrient-rich options, they might also consider products containing calcium citrate 400 mg in Pakistan, further expanding their dietary choices.