Algae Products: New Algae Based Products That Will Disrupt Industries

Dyes and Colorants from algae are gaining importance mainly due to health and environmental issues. Algae derivatives are used in emulsion paints which we use to paint our walls. These derivatives are also used in glazing clay and varnish polishes. Algal constituents are crucial in the process of making paper, stabilizing latex and manufacturing polishing wax.

Many pigments from algae can also be used as natural food colorants, for instance in orange juice, chewing gum, ice sorbets, candies, soft drinks, dairy products and wasabi.Carrageenin is an agarlike compound obtained from red algae that is widely used as a stabilizer in paints, pharmaceuticals, and ice cream.

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Algae as a food thickener.

Agar is a gelatinous substance derived from cell walls of red algae and has numerous applications. It is used as a culture media in microbiology, thickener in the food industry (soups, jellies and candies) and as a clarifying agent in brewing. It is also used for paper and fabric sizing. Agar is a seaweed product prepared from certain red algae that is used in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, as a culture medium for laboratory microorganisms, and in the preparation of jellied desserts and soups.

• Desserts, ice cream, cream, milkshakes, yogurts, salad dressings, sweetened condensed milks
• Sauces: used to increase viscosity
• Beer: clarifier to remove haze-causing proteins
• Fruit Gushers: ingredient in the encapsulated gel
• Soy milk and other plant milks: used to thicken, in an attempt to emulate the consistency of whole milk
• Diet sodas: to enhance texture and suspend flavors
  
• Vegetarian hot dogs
• Pâtés and processed meats (e.g., ham): substitute for fat, increase water retention, and increase volume, or improve sliceability

Algae as animal feed

High mineral content found in marine algae is used for chemical extraction of halogens and potash. Marine algae particularly in Europe is collected and fed to cattle directly or after drying. It has become a popular choice for animal feed.

Algae-based feeds have been proven to be equal to or better than other feedstocks in nutritional value and digestibility, and could free large swaths of arable land and simultaneously address food security issues in an era of rising demand for animal proteins.

Research has already shown that algae can be used as a highly effective component of animal feed, and can be produced with much smaller land and water inputs.

The cultivation of algae for feed could free up millions of acres currently used to produce pasture and feed crops, reducing the tension that exists between food security and bioenergy crops.

Algae in dental castings

Agar-agar, is a vegetable colloid derived from seaweed. This jelly-like substance softens when heated and hardens when cooled.

When the types of algae used for the manufacture of agar-agar from the Japanese coast were no longer available in America during the Second World War, native brown algae was used.

Chemical processing of this material yielded a new elastic impression material with an alginate base, which is easier to use.