After this summer’s heatwaves, Aftenposten, Norway’s largest paper newspaper, published an article where seaweed was presented as a part of the future solution. SusKelpFood’s co-leader Arne Duinker was interviewed:
“- We need more food in the world. These plants from the sea are one of the solutions in the long term, says Arne Duinker to Aftenposten. (…) However, some brown algae contain a lot of iodine. Because of this, and because there is still a lack of knowledge about seaweed as food, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority currently recommends that "people do not eat large quantities of seaweed and kelp". And this is exactly what SusKelpFood aims on help solving; find methods that reduce the amount of iodine, at the same time as other nutrients are retained.
Another bottleneck for an increased seaweed consumption in Norway (and most other parts of Europe) is the lack of nowadays tradition to include seaweeds in our diet: “- As far as Norway is concerned, there is talk of changing a food tradition. It takes time, says Duinker.
Now, however, Orkla will start using macroalgae in its products. Duinker thinks that can help make it more common.” Orkla is one of SusKelpFood’s partners and are continuing their industrial food production with seaweed inclusion as a part of this project!
