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Estonia, a small coastal nation in Northern Europe, has quietly established itself among the leaders of seaweed science.
Scientists from Norway, Iceland, Belgium, and Estonia have just finished a three-year study to help Europe’s seaweed industry grow. Estonian scientists had a simple but important question: How can we keep seaweed fresh for longer? They found that some safe ingredients can help, like citric, lactic, and sorbic acids in the right mix.
“Seaweed can spoil quickly, often within a few days under normal conditions,” explains Professor Rando Tuvikene from Tallinn University. He runs a special lab equipped to study seaweed chemistry, one of its kind in the world.
Right now, small farms in Europe can only sell their seaweed nearby because it spoils so fast. If they could keep it fresh for longer, they could sell it in more places and scale up the production.
Estonia’s most unique renewable resource
Europe’s seaweed farming is still quite new, but Estonia has a long history – six decades of processing seaweed, despite the fact that the Baltic Sea is low in salinity and doesn’t have rich vegetation. Between Estonia’s islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, there’s a special kind of red seaweed called Furcellaria lumbricalis. It grows wildly, on a vast territory, protected from the waves and the movement of the sea. Similar resources have become extinct in most other places due to pollution and overharvesting.
“We’ve been smart about it,” Tuvikene explained how Estonians managed to preserve these seaweeds. “Every few years, divers check the areas and set safe harvest limits. Seaweed is the most unique renewable resource in Estonia.” Scientists hope their research will help make the most of this unique resource.
Furcellaria lumbricalis isn’t just a local curiosity – it’s a valuable resource with many uses and Estonia’s company Est-Agar is harvesting and processing the algae mostly for exporting.
What do marmalade and beer have in common?
The extract from this red seaweed called furcellaran (E407), is a natural gelling agent found in everyday products. It helps marmalade keep its jelly-like texture, makes beer clear, and is even used in plant-based foods and cosmetics.
The seaweed’s gelling properties come from its large sugar molecules, making it particularly valuable in food production. Besides making candies more pleasant to eat, furcellaran is used by French cosmetics brands and Estonia’s Berrichi. It’s also a top choice for dairy products, giving a smooth texture and a specific mouthfeel sensation.
In a 2019 study, Estonian scientists proved that it can make beer more clear. They tested and experimented on various liquids to reach that conclusion. Who knew seaweed chemistry could be much fun?
This kind of versatility has attracted international attention, bringing researchers from worldwide to Estonia’s shores.
More academic freedom in Estonia
Among them is Amal D. Premarathna, a Sri Lankan scientist who chose to pursue his PhD under Tuvikene’s guidance. “There aren’t many scientists focused solely on seaweed; Tuvikene is one of them,” Premarathna explains. His research has been exceptionally productive, resulting in 16 publications in just four years of his PhD studies, with a focus on the healing properties of various seaweed species. “I chose Estonia because of the freedom I was given in my academic work,” said Premarathna who graduated from Ocean University of Sri Lanka.
Premarathna is investigating the use of seaweed as a natural remedy, specifically applying algae to wounds to observe how it accelerates the healing process. After studying over 40 different seaweed species, he has found that seaweed has anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, skin-healing, and anti-aging properties.
The research is an important step in making seaweed a big part of Europe’s future. As Professor Tuvikene’s laboratory continues its specialized research, Estonia’s role in the field expands, building on its unique position as a producer and a modern innovator in seaweed science.
This article is written by Marian Männi. This article was funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Estonian Research Council.
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