What are some interesting products made with seaweed?

Hidden under the ocean are large quantities of plant life called seaweed. There are many different kinds that have been used for food, fertilizer, medicines and animal feed since ancient times. read more

Algin or alginates from brown seaweed and agar from red seaweed are widely used in bakery products, candies, dairy products, salad dressings, ice creams and creams and jellies, as well as in processing meats, sausages and fish and in clarifying beers and wines. read more

Seaweed products © Gavin Maneveldt Agar on the other hand, has its most important use as a medium on which to culture fungi and bacteria in microbial and medical pathological research. In food for human consumption agar is found in baking and confectionary products and is widely used to clarify wine, juice and vinegars due to its excellent protein binding properties. read more

Seaweed is prevalent in Asian dishes. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, in Japan, as of 1973, about 654,000 tons wet weight of seaweed was eaten each year. read more

3. While the seaweed industry in the west is based mainly on seaweed extracts, in the east seaweeds are cultivated in huge quantities for human consumption. Red seaweeds from the genus Porphyra (purple laver) in particular, contribute at least 80% of all seaweed harvested in the world. read more