Ingredients supplier Macphie, biotech firm BioMara, and Abertay University have successfully used a new seaweed-derived ingredient to boost the nutrition profile of baked goods.
The development was announced upon completion of a collaborative project between the three Scottish entities, which was funded through a share of Innovate UK’s £17.4m ‘Better For All’ programme.
BioMara’s functional food ingredient Seafibrex, which is produced from local regenerative farmed seaweed using a propriety extraction process, was the focus of the project. Unlike traditional crops, seaweed requires no land, freshwater, or fertilisers – and instead contributes to ocean regeneration.
Seafibrex delivers a unique combination of fibres, antioxidants, bioavailable minerals, and complex carbohydrates that is designed to promote population-level health improvements whilst being a cost-competitive, clean label ingredient.
Working closely with Aberdeenshire-headquartered Macphie and the Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences at Abertay University in Dundee, Edinburgh-based BioMara was able to prove that Seafibrex can be integrated into breads and muffins, as well as plant-based meats, without compromising on quality or manufacturing efficiency.
Macphie was able to incorporate it in core bakery formulations at its industrial-scale facilities in Glenbervie, with trials demonstrating that it performed well in production and met quality standards expected by its commercial bakery partners. In addition, Abertay University conducted consumer sensory evaluations in its state-of-the-art labs, confirming that Seafibrex-enhanced products were well received in terms of taste, texture, and mouthfeel.
Despite decades of public health messaging, only 9% of UK adults currently meet the recommended daily intake of 30g of fibre, according to the Food & Drink Federation’s Action on Fibre initiative. The national average for daily fibre intake of around 19g remains unchanged in over ten years, and this persistent shortfall is said to be a key contributor to rising rates of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colon cancer.
Paul McKnight, research and development manager at Macphie, described the project as a “timely and valuable initiative aimed at improving the nation’s health without asking people to give up the foods they love”. “The programme has shown that seaweed-based ingredients like Seafibrex can be incorporated into our product lines without sacrificing taste or quality. We’re also seeing growing demand from our customers for innovative functional ingredient solutions from reliable local suppliers that align with wellness and sustainability trends,” he added.
Another Scottish manufacturer, Victor Pizza in Glasgow, has also enhanced its products with seaweed inclusuions. It developed a nutritionally balanced pizza after teaming up with Donnie Maclean from Scottish food brand Eat Balanced.
Several bakery brands have been launching bakery NPD with high fibre claims – most recently New York Bakery’s new Fibre Plus bagels and Hovis’ White n’ Fibre loaf.
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