In 2021, the seaweed protein market generates $513.7 million, advancing at a rate of 11.8% from 2030, to capture $1,397.7 million revenue in 2030. Edible seaweed is used for extracting protein from them, ascribed to healthcare usage that drives sales. Moreover, the risk of infectious viral diseases in animals is resulting in declining consumption of meat proteins.
The most important seaweed crop is Gracilaria, massively cultivated in Chile, accounting for 100% of the aquaculture biomass. It has resulted in improving the living standards of the people living in the coastal areas due to its massive plantation and harvesting by local fishers. Moreover, seaweed cultivation has experienced a rise of 400% in the last decade in Chile. Dehydrated seaweed is the next significant exported product from Chile, ascribed to over two-thirds of export to China, and the rest to Denmark, Canada, Japan, France, and Norway.
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The protein extraction from red seaweeds captures around 70% of the industry share. Red seaweeds contribute to 50% of the whole seaweed cultivation globally. Nori has the highest protein content, among all types of red seaweeds. Red seaweeds are crucial for human digestion, as a binder in food products, and as bacterial substrates in laboratories.
The worldwide largest seaweed-producing country is China. The total yield of eight species of farmed seaweeds in China has protein content equivalent to 11 million tons of spinach, 3 million tons of rice, 1.5 million tons of pork, and 15 million tons of potatoes.
The sales of conventionally extracted protein from seaweed hold a substantial share of the industry, accounting for 55%. The traditional alkaline extraction of the seaweed offers substantial yields compared to the other methods. Moreover, protein extraction requires high consumption of time, and requires a massive volume of solvent, with limited extraction efficiency.
The industry is projected to rise in the coming years due to numerous non-food seaweed applications, such as nutraceutical, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, bio-stimulants, animal feed, textile fibers, bio-packaging, carbon capture, and biofuels. Thus, it drives the research & development of highly-efficient methods for seaweed protein extraction.
Numerous benefits of seaweeds lure consumers into using them in oriental dishes, supplement micronutrients, and produce plant-based diets from them for animals. Therefore, seaweed proteins are continuing to rise as an alternative protein source, ascribed to socio-economic, health, and nutritional benefits, that will proliferate the industry growth in the coming years.
The food industry generates a significant revenue share of the seaweed protein industry, accounting for 80%. Aligner alginates derived from brown seaweed, and carrageenan produced from red seaweed are used as thickening agents in confectionaries, salad dressings, bakery products, sweets, ice creams, desserts, beverage mix, sausages, processed meats, fish, and clarifying wines and beers.
Geographically, APAC captures a significant share of the seaweeds and hydrocolloids, accounting for ~60% of worldwide production. China is the largest importing country of non-edible and edible seaweed for processing. Moreover, the Philippines is the next-significant exporter of processed and semi-processed carrageenan, after China.
Therefore, the numerous health benefits of seaweed protein in their dietary intake results in their rising sales.
