SEAWEED – FOOD OF THE FUTURE?
The food we eat has a big impact on our planet. Growing vegetables requires enormous areas of land, and very large quantities of water. In addition, the fertilizers that are used pollute the land, rivers, and oceans. However, meat production causes even more serious environmental damage: the gases that are produced in the process play a major role in climate change. One solution is to replace meat with plant-based meat substitutes. Indeed, many such substitutes can be found in supermarkets. However, their production also has high environmental costs. Food scientists have therefore begun looking for meat substitutes that are more environmentally friendly. Recently, they discovered a surprising possibility: seaweed.(lines 1–8)
For people living in the West, seaweed is a plant that they see mostly on beaches or in the sea. Sometimes they eat it in sushi in a Japanese restaurant. However, in many Asian countries, people have been eating different types of seaweed every day for around 2,000 years. The plant is grown on special seaweed farms in the sea near the coasts of several Asian countries. Small pieces of seaweed are attached to long ropes that are then hung in the sea. Within six weeks, large leaves are ready to be picked off the ropes.(lines 9–14)
Food scientists have been studying one type of seaweed known as "red seaweed." Currently, this type is sold worldwide as a source of carrageenan. This chemical has a wide variety of uses – for example, improving the texture of face creams and of certain foods. But it was recently found that red seaweed also has the same amount of protein as meat does. This has led food scientists to use it to begin developing a product with the taste, texture, and appearance of meat. For companies growing red seaweed this is exciting news, as they expect to see a huge increase in demand for the plant.(lines 15–20)
One large grower of red seaweed, SeaFarms, already has plans to set up huge farms near the coast of Northern Europe. "Like all types of seaweed, red seaweed has considerable advantages over crops grown on land: Not only does it grow extremely quickly, but it also requires no fertilizers or fresh water," says Brenda Clark, head of SeaFarms. "That means it will greatly appeal to people who prefer eating food that doesn't harm the environment. And when it becomes a delicious meat substitute, it will appeal even to meat eaters. So seaweed could be the food of the future."(lines 21–26)