On 16 October, World Food Day 2026 calls on governments, businesses and researchers to “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.” Few resources illustrate that message better than macroalgae: an ancient food in many coastal cultures that innovation can now turn into a scalable, sustainable source of nutrition for Europe.
Europe has thousands of kilometres of coastline, yet most of the seaweed it eats and processes is still imported. Macroalgae need no fresh water, no arable land and no fertiliser, and they absorb carbon and excess nutrients as they grow. That combination makes them one of the most promising raw materials for a food system that has to produce more while using less.
The Horizon Europe project SALINA, funded by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking, sets out to turn that promise into working value chains. This article looks at where macroalgae already fit in the food sector, what still holds them back, and how SALINA is tackling both sides.
Macroalgae on the plate
Seaweeds are nutritionally dense. Depending on the species, they supply dietary fibre, minerals such as iodine, calcium, magnesium and iron, vitamins, polyphenols and, in red and green species, a meaningful share of protein. They also bring umami flavour, which lets food makers cut salt without losing taste.
In practice, macroalgae reach consumers in three ways:
- Whole or minimally processed seaweed: dried sheets, flakes, salads and seasonings, long established in Asian cuisines and growing in European retail.
- Functional ingredients: alginates, carrageenans and agar used as thickeners, gelling agents and stabilisers across dairy, bakery, confectionery and meat products.
- New formulations: snacks, pasta, bread, plant-based alternatives and salt replacers in which seaweed is a visible, value-adding component.
The last category is where European producers can compete on quality and origin rather than price. Consumers looking for sustainable, plant-based and “ocean-friendly” products are a natural market.
What still holds the sector back
Despite the potential, European seaweed for food remains a small, fragmented market. Four obstacles stand out:
- Supply and consistency. Wild harvesting is limited and seasonal, and cultivation is still small-scale. Food manufacturers need reliable volumes with stable composition.
- Safety. Seaweeds can accumulate iodine, arsenic, cadmium and other contaminants depending on species, site and processing. Excess iodine in particular must be controlled.
- Regulation. Species without a history of consumption in the EU may fall under the Novel Food Regulation. Approval routes are slow and costly for small producers.
- Processing and cost. Fresh biomass spoils quickly and is mostly water. Drying, stabilisation and extraction add cost, and selling only one fraction rarely pays for the whole harvest.
How SALINA addresses the gaps
SALINA (Scalable macroAlgae cuLtivation systems for INnovative Applications in the food, cosmetic and construction sectors) started in June 2026 and works on the full chain, from the seed line to the end product.
Cultivation across Europe. The project optimises on-shore and off-shore cultivation at four demo sites: the west coast of Ireland, the North Atlantic, the Baltic Sea and the Ebro Delta in the Mediterranean. Covering such different waters helps match species and farming methods to local conditions and builds a more stable, year-round European supply.
Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA). SALINA tests seaweed grown alongside fish and shellfish. The algae take up nutrients released by the animals, cleaning the water and turning a waste stream into biomass. This is a clear example of how food production at sea can be circular by design.
Cascade biorefinery. Instead of extracting one product, SALINA defines protocols to recover carbohydrates, peptides and fibre fractions with high yield and purity, aiming to use the whole feedstock without waste. For the food sector, this means ingredients with defined composition and quality, while remaining fractions are directed to SALINA’s cosmetic and construction applications.
Products consumers can taste. The project also develops delicatessen seaweed snacks, demonstrating that European macroalgae can reach the shelf as premium, recognisable foods.
Sustainability and responsibility. Life-cycle sustainability, techno-economic and circularity assessments benchmark SALINA’s solutions, while a dedicated ethics and sustainability framework, coordinated by ASINCAR, ensures that scaling up respects ecological boundaries, food safety and social acceptance.
Looking ahead
Macroalgae will not replace land-based agriculture, but they can relieve some of its heaviest pressures: protein imports, land and water use, and nutrient pollution. The barrier is no longer the biology; it is the ability to produce safe, consistent biomass at scale and to value every fraction of it.
By linking cultivation sites across Europe, circular IMTA systems and a zero-waste biorefinery, SALINA is innovating today so that macroalgae can help nourish Europe tomorrow. This World Food Day, the project is a reminder that some of the answers to our food challenges may lie just off our shores.
Author: ASINCAR
