Assessment of chemical risks and benefits connected with macroalgae consumption

Abstract Reducing animal‐based food production and consumption due to environmental issues and undergoing upcoming changes in food dietary patterns is pushing European society to search for new protein sources. Consuming macroalgae (seaweed) is one of the possible solutions, and it is an exciting al...

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Main Authors: Łukasz Woźniak, María Soledad Prats Moya
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-12-01
Series:EFSA Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2024.e221109
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author Łukasz Woźniak
María Soledad Prats Moya
author_facet Łukasz Woźniak
María Soledad Prats Moya
author_sort Łukasz Woźniak
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Reducing animal‐based food production and consumption due to environmental issues and undergoing upcoming changes in food dietary patterns is pushing European society to search for new protein sources. Consuming macroalgae (seaweed) is one of the possible solutions, and it is an exciting alternative for both sustainability and consumers' health. The aim of this work, implemented under the EU‐FORA fellowship programme, was to evaluate the current and projected consumption of macroalgae in terms of possible beneficial and detrimental effects on consumers. The risk–benefit assessment methodology was selected as a tool for this task, and a broad range of qualitative analyses of raw material composition (e.g. fatty acids, micro‐, macroelements, heavy metals, biogenic amines). The current levels of macroalgae consumption in the EU are deficient; therefore, alternate scenarios using data from other countries and substitution scenarios are needed. Iodine turned out to be the most pivotal constituent – on the one hand; it is an element essential for life, often fortified in foods like milk or salt; on the other, its overdosing leads to serious thyroid complications. A very high variance in iodine levels between algal species was observed; therefore, it was suggested that this valuable knowledge is helpful in dietary recommendations.
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spelling doaj-art-2ce3a92646ad48a390e58614bd09ee6c2025-08-20T02:39:11ZengWileyEFSA Journal1831-47322024-12-0122S1n/an/a10.2903/j.efsa.2024.e221109Assessment of chemical risks and benefits connected with macroalgae consumptionŁukasz Woźniak0María Soledad Prats Moya1Department of Food Safety and Chemical Analysis Institute of Agricultural and Food Biotechnology Warsaw PolandAnalytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science Department University of Alicante Alicante SpainAbstract Reducing animal‐based food production and consumption due to environmental issues and undergoing upcoming changes in food dietary patterns is pushing European society to search for new protein sources. Consuming macroalgae (seaweed) is one of the possible solutions, and it is an exciting alternative for both sustainability and consumers' health. The aim of this work, implemented under the EU‐FORA fellowship programme, was to evaluate the current and projected consumption of macroalgae in terms of possible beneficial and detrimental effects on consumers. The risk–benefit assessment methodology was selected as a tool for this task, and a broad range of qualitative analyses of raw material composition (e.g. fatty acids, micro‐, macroelements, heavy metals, biogenic amines). The current levels of macroalgae consumption in the EU are deficient; therefore, alternate scenarios using data from other countries and substitution scenarios are needed. Iodine turned out to be the most pivotal constituent – on the one hand; it is an element essential for life, often fortified in foods like milk or salt; on the other, its overdosing leads to serious thyroid complications. A very high variance in iodine levels between algal species was observed; therefore, it was suggested that this valuable knowledge is helpful in dietary recommendations.https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2024.e221109dietary shiftEU‐FORAfood safetyiodinerisk–benefit assessmentseaweed
spellingShingle Łukasz Woźniak
María Soledad Prats Moya
Assessment of chemical risks and benefits connected with macroalgae consumption
EFSA Journal
dietary shift
EU‐FORA
food safety
iodine
risk–benefit assessment
seaweed
title Assessment of chemical risks and benefits connected with macroalgae consumption
title_full Assessment of chemical risks and benefits connected with macroalgae consumption
title_fullStr Assessment of chemical risks and benefits connected with macroalgae consumption
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of chemical risks and benefits connected with macroalgae consumption
title_short Assessment of chemical risks and benefits connected with macroalgae consumption
title_sort assessment of chemical risks and benefits connected with macroalgae consumption
topic dietary shift
EU‐FORA
food safety
iodine
risk–benefit assessment
seaweed
url https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2024.e221109
work_keys_str_mv AT łukaszwozniak assessmentofchemicalrisksandbenefitsconnectedwithmacroalgaeconsumption
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