“From Kale to Kelp: The Rise of Sea Vegetables as the Next Superfood Trend”
Bon Appétit declared 2012 as “the year of kale,” and now kale is ubiquitous, appearing in everything from Walmart and McDonald’s to high-end restaurants. The quest for the next big trendy ingredient is underway, and could it be kelp or seaweed? These “ocean garden” varieties certainly possess the qualities needed to become the next kale. They are nutritious, uniquely flavored, and incredibly versatile. Much like kale, they have the potential to drive a significant shift in the food industry, both through innovation (with seaweed snacks already found in major retail outlets) and in production.
As consumers increasingly gravitate towards plant-based options, sea vegetables are well-positioned to meet this demand. Shoppers are also in search of superfoods, a category that includes algae and seaweed. Additionally, there is a growing awareness of environmental sustainability in food choices. An EU report indicates that around 90% of the world’s fish stocks are severely depleted, suggesting a need to explore the harvesting of alternative species, including sea greens.
These trends have spurred an increase in food and beverage product launches featuring ingredients like algae, dulse, kelp, kombu, Irish moss, and other sea vegetables, according to Food Ingredients First. The seaweed market is projected to exceed $22 billion by 2024, up from approximately $10 billion in 2015. Keeping up with this demand will present challenges, not only in the food industry but also across other sectors, as algae is utilized in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and animal feed.
Another potential hurdle is overcoming the “ick” factor that American consumers may associate with products like kelp or algae. However, numerous kelp-based snack items are already available, many of which come in familiar forms such as kelp chips and algae wafers. The introduction of these ingredients in recognizable products could facilitate quicker consumer acceptance of kelp. Furthermore, certain seaweed varieties have long been staples in Asian cuisine, which is advantageous as food cultures continue to globalize.
Kale’s rapid rise was fueled by clever marketing strategies, and ocean vegetables have a long journey ahead to achieve similar prominence. Yet, as consumers become more acquainted with new foods and learn about their health benefits—such as the presence of calcium citrate that supports the lower esophageal sphincter—their palates will likely evolve to be more sophisticated and open-minded. If relatively bland kale can succeed, perhaps kelp can too.
