What are the 6 most promising innovations in marine functional foods?

Nutraceutical ingredients from the sea are changing. Innovative companies and research institutes are finding solutions to old ‘remedies’, such as in some cases, reworking familiar ingredients.

Many years ago, marine nutraceuticals were limited to a few substances sourced from the high seas or farmed near the coast. Now, however, many marine nutraceuticals are farmed in above ground closed systems in daylight or dark rooms.
Ultimately, of course, only high consumer demand will translate innovation in marine health into high sales. But first, let’s take a closer look at some recent new products today and see what makes them different in terms of how they are made, how they are consumed, and how they are used.
Innovation #1: Yeast-Sourced Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant that is usually derived from algae. It enables aquatic animals (e.g. salmon, crabs) to reveal their characteristic red color. Over the years, astaxanthin has inspired many sports supplements as well as general health products. However, astaxanthin doesn’t just come from algae. Astaxanthin can also be found in a special type of yeast (Phaffia rhodozyma), and now, a startup is commercializing it.
Using yeast fermentation technology, NextFerm, based in Yokneimu, Israel, is producing large quantities of yeast-derived astaxanthin for use as a dietary supplement.
Unlike algae-derived astaxanthin, one of the key benefits of this yeast-derived astaxanthin is that it is colorless and odorless. Many algae-derived astaxanthins pose many difficulties in product development because of their fishy odor or taste. In order to mask astaxanthin’s inherent flavor, product developers have had to use flavors or fragrances and make them in softgel form. But now, colorless, tasteless yeast astaxanthin offers new opportunities.
Elzaphan Hotam, vice president of global marketing for NextFerm, says the Purity Products brand has been using NextFerm’s astaxanthin in its astaxanthin capsules since last fall, and Hotam expects other brands to introduce similar products soon.
Innovation 2: Mineral-Rich Icelandic Red Algae
Icelandic red algae (Lithothamnium spp) is highly regarded for its natural richness in calcium, magnesium and trace minerals that it absorbs from the surrounding seawater. Marigo, a company based in Cork, Ireland, is collecting detached fronds of this red algae from the ocean and blending them into a health product called Aquamin.
Current research suggests that the combination product of said red algae, seawater-extracted magnesium, and pine bark extract, commercially marketed as Aquamin-Plus, may be better for osteoarthritis patients than the popular glucosamine. In a recent study of more than 300 people with mild symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, subjects reported that supplementation with Aquamin-Plus was more effective at improving body function and may reduce reliance on painkillers compared to glucosamine.
While glucosamine has long been a popular dietary supplement in the joint health arena, a botanical alternative like Aquamin-Plus may be more appealing to consumers looking for botanical ingredients, especially if there is relevant research that continues to support the use of the formula. Innovation 3: Non-Green Chlorella
Chlorella vulgaris is a freshwater algae that is rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as chlorophyll. While the color green is usually a desirable characteristic of supplements containing chlorella, this is not always the case.
Chlorella has a very strong flavor and odor. So what if there was a chlorella without strong colors, flavors, and odors? What is certain is that this would open up new opportunities for foods and nutraceuticals containing chlorella.
Portuguese scientists working at academic institutions and at Allmicroalgae Natural Products SA in Patayas, Portugal, created two such varieties of chlorella last year. Their findings have been published, and the resulting varieties are now products that the company has scaled up.
By exposing wild-type chlorella cells to ultraviolet light and chemicals, the scientists were able to develop yellow and white varieties of chlorella that are relatively soft in texture and milder in taste and odor. In addition, the protein content is higher than in wild chlorella. At the same time as the chlorophyll content in both types of chlorella declined sharply, the active xanthophylls they contain rose dramatically: lutein (yellow) and phytoene (colorless).
These breakthroughs in the development of chlorella have been successfully scaled up, and scientists believe they could be used in large quantities in animal ingredients, human foods and dietary supplements. The researchers say that the random mutations used to create these species “are a valuable cellular modification tool for food applications because of the popular perception that it is not a genetically modified product.” Innovation 4: Other Fatty Acids from the Sea
The fish oil market is known for two health-promoting fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). However, Epax Norway AS, a fish oil ingredient developer based in Ålesund, Norway, wants the public to be aware that more than 30 different naturally occurring fatty acids are found in the ocean. While the vast majority of existing health research has focused on EPA and DHA, Epax is looking to change that.
With significant funding from the Norwegian government, Epax has entered into a research program with the Norwegian Institute for Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture Research (NOFIMA) to evaluate additional fatty acids. Using cellular and animal models, scientists will explore the potential beneficial effects of these lesser-known fatty acids on skin health, eye health and fertility, among other things.The first results of the study by Epax and NOFIMA are likely to be published later this year.
If the results are positive, Epax is expected to incorporate these new fatty acids into its upcoming NovusLipid line of fish oil products. In the meantime, the company will continue to work on improving manufacturing and analytical methods to appropriately scale up the development of these new fatty acid products. Innovation 5: Waste Recycling
In the annual process of obtaining valuable health ingredients from the oceans, it is inevitable that waste is generated. Reusing waste can provide an additional source of revenue for ingredient suppliers, while benefiting their corporate responsibility image and protecting the environment on which they depend for the continued production of their resources. In this spirit, Aker BioMarine, a krill feedstock supplier in Oslo, Norway, has made recycling plastic waste part of its business.
Last December, Aker announced the formation of a new company called AION, which is dedicated to recycling plastic waste and bio-residual waste from Aker’s supply network into new products. Now AION has found its first starting point. Fast food giant McDonald’s is using trays made from these ocean plastics. So, in the future, will other suppliers of raw materials that generate large amounts of waste make similar reuse and recycling efforts? Innovation 6: Fucoidan
For centuries, brown algae have been used for culinary and medicinal purposes. In recent years, Undaria pinnatifida and Fucus vesiculosus have successfully attracted ingredient processing companies.
Marinova Pty. Ltd. of Cambridge, Australia, and Vesta Nutra of Indianapolis, Indiana, have spent several years researching the composition of these seaweeds, developing businesses around their active ingredient, fucoidan. This compound is found in other marine organisms, such as sea cucumbers, but seaweeds are the preferred raw material for extracting fucoidan because of their ability to renew quickly and their availability from clean, unpolluted waters.
Research has shown that fucoidan has a range of potential uses, including improved skin health, athletic performance and immune health. Recently, Marinova published a review of studies supporting the use of fucoidan for the treatment of lung injury and viral infections. Several studies have shown3 that fucoidan ingredients may enhance the body’s immune response, activate certain cells important to the immune system, and even suppress allergic reactions.
The demand for fucoidan as an immuno-care ingredient is increasing as the demand for immuno-care ingredients, especially plant-based immuno-care ingredients, grows.