Why is seaweed in food? | Seaweed Part 2
Seaweed is a common ingredient in food, you probably eat more often than you realize. It is a traditional food in many parts of the world and has important commercial and nutritional benefits. The most common seaweed product is nori, which is roasted and formed into sheets that are eaten plain and used in making sushi. Other seaweeds that are eaten whole are wakame, which can be found in seaweed salad and soups, and dulse. Seaweed is not only eaten whole, but phycocolloids extracted from seaweed are common food additives. Carrageenan and agar are phycocolloids extracted from red algae, and alginates are extracted from brown. These food additives are used as gelling agents and emulsifiers, and can be found in a wide range of products from puddings, pastry fillings, chocolate milk and ice-cream!
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For more information check out the sources used to make this video:
Madhusudan, C., Manoj, S., Rahul K. and Rishi, C.M. 2011. Seaweeds: A Diet with Nutritional, Medicinal and Industrial Value. Research Journal of Medicinal Plants, 5: 153-157. 10.3923/rjmp.2011.153.157
Radmer, R.J. 2009. Algal Diversity and Commercial Algal Products. BioScience 46(4): 263-270. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1312833
West, J., Calumpong, H.P. and Martin J. Chapter 14. Seaweeds. United Nations. http://www.un.org/depts/los/global_re...