The biodiversity of the marine environment and its associated chemical diversity provide an unlimited resource for the development of new bioactive ingredients. Structural uniqueness makes active ingredients from different marine sources play an important role in the food industry, including the efficient production of food under special conditions such as low temperature or high pressure; providing additional nutritional benefits to food; and acting as "natural" pigments, preservatives or flavors for food. At present, the high-value processing of marine resources through innovative technologies has become a hot research topic in the food industry.
Sources of marine-derived food ingredients
Marine-derived food ingredients can be obtained from different marine organisms, including marine plants, animals and microorganisms, all of which contain their own unique active ingredients. In addition, another unique source of marine-derived food ingredients is the fish or seafood by-products that result from post-harvest processing.
Marine plants are the main source of marine-derived food ingredients. Among all types of marine plants, seaweeds are the most widely studied. After being processed into flakes, flours, powders or even more specific extracts, seaweeds can be incorporated into food products to perform different functions. For example, carrageenan is a natural phycocolloid obtained from edible red seaweed. It plays an important role in food formulation, providing texture, structure and physical stability to food products. At present, carrageenan has been widely used in dairy products (such as yogurt, ice cream, milkshake) and meat products (such as ham, sausage) as a thickener, stabilizer, and emulsifier.
The function and application of marine animals in the food industry should not be underestimated. Fish collagen (or marine collagen) obtained from fish skin, scales and bones has been a research hotspot in recent years. It is the most abundant protein in fish, mainly composed of type I collagen. In addition to maintaining the structure of various tissues and organs, this type of collagen can also be widely used in the food and beverage industry as a modern foodstuff. It helps to improve the elasticity, consistency and stability of food products. In addition, it plays an important role in the quality, nutritional and health value of food products.
Marine microorganisms are capable of exhibiting different physiological adaptations to the marine environment. This adaptability allows them to produce active compounds with unique properties. The use of active compounds of microbial origin in the food industry is becoming an interesting and economically viable concept. Taking marine enzymes from microorganisms as an example, they have useful cold-adapted properties in food processing. In addition, they are also valuable as food ingredients because of their specificity, diverse properties, salt tolerance and high activity at mild pH.
- Fish and seafood by-products
Fish and seafood wastes contain important bioactive ingredients and are candidates for additives in the food industry. For example, cellulose nanofibers isolated from brown algae waste have been used as milk thickeners due to their high viscosity and shear-thinning rheological properties [1].
What can we do?
Alfa Chemistry believes that marine active ingredients will become a source of fascination for the food industry. As a professional marine ingredient supplier, we are committed to developing new and improved formulations for customers in the food industry to meet industry challenges. If you have any ideas or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Reference
- Gao, H.; et al. Fabrication of cellulose nanofibers from waste Brown algae and their potential application as milk thickeners. Food Hydrocolloids. 2018, 79: 473-481.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
