Proalga – Portuguese Algae Producers Association and Greencolab have appealed, in a letter sent to the government, so that school programs include information on “the wealth” of algae and that this feature be included in the canteens menus.
The appeal to the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation is based on a study of the vertical algae of the Blue Bioeconomic Pact, a consortium that brings together 38 entities of the sector in Portugal, including business groups, small and medium enterprises, startups, universities and research centers.
The study, which was based 3,028 in-person and distance interviews, reveals that more than 36% of respondents are unaware of the nutritional value of algae, this Thursday advanced to Lusa Margarida Eustáquio, nutritionist and project manager of Proalga.
Despite ignorance about this resource of marine origin, 90% of respondents showed interest in learning more about their properties.
“It is this gap in rich foods that are available to the country, coupled with the curiosity of the public, which leads to the proalga to ask the government to diffuse elementary knowledge about algae in school programs,” he said.
For Margarida Eustáquio, the inclusion of relevant and reliable information on school and academic contents will be “the best way to prepare the younger ones for a new generation of more conscious, informed and sustainable diets.”
“When it comes to algae, it is thought, often that it is an abstract thing, it is a thing of the sea, even there is a negative connotation, but when they begin to realize the potentialities, children get very interested,” he said, adding that including them in the canteens menus, at least twice a month, “would be an excellent step.”
According to the nutritionist, Greencolab, based at the University of Algarvehas held educational and workshops sessions in basic and secondary schools, in order to stimulate curiosity on algae, as well as their use as a raw material, source of flavor and nutrients for their dishes.
“Often, the main barrier is taste and color, but if children start early, then they will be more inclined to easily include algae in their diet,” he said, noting that “we often consume algae unknowingly,” such as gelatin or pudding, which contain components extracted from algae.
Margarida Eustáquio believes there is openness and availability of the Ministry of Education for this issue, especially because Portugal “is one of the world’s countries with the best conditions for algae production”, although companies in the sector export most of their production.
“Companies in the sector export more than 90% of their production on average due to the lack of knowledge that national consumers have algae as a source of minerals, vitamins, good fats, fiber or protein. Few Portuguese know, for example, that 100 grams of some produced in Portugal have more protein than the same amount of red meat, ”he noticed.
The study also demonstrated that most respondents consume products with algae through ‘snacks’ of dried algae, sushi, crackers and food supplements.
Spirulina and sea lettuce are the most recognized among respondents, although their consumption is uncommon.
Titled “Knowledge and Perception of Algae”, the study will be presented at the 1st International Congress of Biotechnology of Algae, which takes place from April 9 to 11 in Lisbon and is organized by and Greencolab.
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