Market Trends of North America Microbial Protein Industry
Increasing Efforts to Improve Extraction and Cultivation of Microalgae to Boost the Market Growth
- Algae-based meals and supplements keep getting press and attention because of their purported health benefits. Many kinds of food and drink can benefit from the addition of algal biomass. The companies that are planning to cultivate, prepare, and commercially distribute algae as a valuable nutritional source will be pioneers who pave the way for considerable value creation in the market for meat alternatives.
- New sources of algae proteins have been coming up in the market recently. Microalgae, a source rich in protein, omega, and beta-carotene, have gained immense popularity among manufacturers as a sustainable source of food and fuel. For instance, the Bioconversion of Algal Carbohydrates and Proteins to Fuels project handled by Sandia National Laboratories (multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security), is meant to provide the technical means to surmount current limitations for conversion of algae biomass to fuels and bioproducts by efficient utilization of proteins and carbohydrates, which are the dominant components of algae biomass at high growth rate.
- The project is expected to reduce the overall cost associated with microalgae cultivation, thus allowing the technology to be competitive and a durable alternative in the marketplace. Currently, the available microalgae cultivation methods are expensive. However, the project aims to reduce the production cost to USD 900/tonne using new technologies, such as biocatalyst cultivation procedures. Thus, the increasing efforts to improve the extraction and cultivation of microalgae are expected to boost market growth.
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United States Holds the Major Share in the Market
- The regional microbial protein market was primarily driven by the United States and its rising demand for alternative proteins. The rising awareness regarding healthy and sustainable foods led to an increase in the demand for plant or microbial protein-based meat alternatives in the country. Moreover, the popularity of food products with the label 'free from' has encouraged consumers to adopt a 'clean living' with healthy dietary preferences.
- The emerging protein gap is building opportunities for new sources, such as single-cell organisms and microalgae, including spirulina and chlorella. For instance, as per Plant Protein Co., 6% of United States consumers identified themselves as Vegans in 2023, which represents a 6 times increase since 2014.
- Additionally, factors like less environmental impact, year-round availability, and more protein concentration give microbial proteins an upper hand over conventional protein sources. The country has the largest concentration of companies involved in fermentation for alternative protein applications, which projects the country as a potential leader in the market.
- For instance, Kuehnle AgroSystems, a Hawaii-based algae ingredients-producing company, announced the allowance of its patent for producing microalgal proteins and other products by culturing Chlamydomonas microalgae via dark fermentation. As per the company, its patented process covers the production of additional ingredients for adding color, flavor, and vital nutrients that can be used for plant-based meat and seafood, such as hemoproteins and selenoproteins, produced by members of the Chlamydomonadales.
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