{"id":13233,"date":"2025-05-14T08:18:24","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T08:18:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/?p=13233"},"modified":"2025-05-14T08:18:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T08:18:25","slug":"microalgae-based-products-in-food-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/2025\/05\/14\/microalgae-based-products-in-food-innovation\/","title":{"rendered":"Microalgae based products in Food Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The search for alternative and sustainable sources of nutrients has led to growing interest in microalgae, highly efficient microscopic organisms with remarkable nutritional potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Sustainable Nutritional Powerhouse<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In addition to their abundance and productive efficiency, microalgae are rich in amino acids<\/strong>, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals (Matos, 2017). These attributes make them a promising option for enriching traditional foods, as well as a versatile raw material for developing innovative products, similar to tofu, tempeh, lentils, or chickpeas \u2014 alternatives to animal-based proteins<\/strong> that are increasingly valued by consumers (Onwezen et al., 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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However, the incorporation of microalgae into food is not without its challenges, particularly in terms of sensory acceptance. Factors such as taste, aroma, color, and texture have a direct impact on how consumers perceive these products and that perception is not always favorable.<\/strong><\/p>\n(Gille et al., 2017)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The YUM Algae Project<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The YUM Algae Project<\/strong>, developed in partnership with the Instituto Superior de Agronomia<\/strong>, was created to investigate this issue. Sense Test<\/strong> participated in this pioneering study with two main goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • To conduct a sensory characterization of various microalgae biomasses;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • To evaluate the impact of their incorporation into foods such as bread and Camembert cheese. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Study<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Study I:<\/strong> Sensory characterization of 12 microalgae biomasses by a trained panel using the CATA (Check-All-That-Apply) methodology, along with a tasting report developed based on literature and preliminary tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Study II<\/strong>: Evaluation of four samples of bread and Camembert cheese made with both raw and enzymatically treated microalgae. This phase involved both consumers (65 na\u00efve tasters) and a trained panel, using methodologies such as hedonic scales and RATA (Rate-All-That-Apply).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Main Results <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The data collected enabled a detailed mapping of the sensory perceptions of the biomasses, as well as the identification of key factors influencing the acceptance of the developed products. For instance, visual appearance and odor<\/strong> were found to be the most critical aspects for consumers, particularly in the raw versions. Even so, there were encouraging signs: Many consumers were open to food innovation, especially when the products had an appealing appearance and milder aromas. Sensory analysis thus proved to be an essential tool<\/strong> for overcoming sensory barriers and bringing microalgae-based products closer to consumer preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Insights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The YUM Algae project stands as an excellent example of how sensory analysis and sustainability can go hand in hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    Despite the challenges, the use of microalgae in food holds immense potential – not only due to their nutritional value and low environmental impact but also for the opportunity to create unique products that meet emerging market demands.<\/p>\n (Vaz et al., 2016)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The search for alternative and sustainable sources of nutrients has led to growing interest in microalgae, highly efficient microscopic organisms with remarkable nutritional potential. A Sustainable Nutritional Powerhouse In addition to their abundance and productive efficiency, microalgae are rich in amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals (Matos, 2017). These attributes make them a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4],"tags":[52,56,57],"class_list":["post-13233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-case-studies","category-sensory-innovation","tag-food","tag-food-innovation","tag-microalgae"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13233"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13238,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13233\/revisions\/13238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sensetest.pt\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}