Spirulina- a marine miracle for sustainable food system

ABSTRACT

Promoting optimal nutrition, health, and sustainable food systems in an era of population explosion, dietary transformation, and climate change is a critical risk factor of our generation. Thus, the food sector is confronted with the issue of producing low-cost, nutrient-dense, and convenient foods. Therefore, it is critical to investigate food sources that are technologically feasible and have a positive environmental and economic impact. Spirulina is one of those sources that facilitate manufacturing, processing, and distribution together with a wide variety of nutrients that enhance human health. It is a marine alga that provides the possibility of improving food security while at the same time benefiting the environment by utilizing fewer soils to produce as much protein and energy as livestock thereby helping to reach SDG 14 which states the use of marine resources for sustainable development. Spirulina has been shown to have potential therapeutic roles. Moreover, Spirulina and its constituents have found widespread application in the food manufacturing industry. Thus, this paper aims to provide an overview of the beneficial applications of Spirulina, its role in maintaining food security, and its application to combat the global problem of malnutrition without affecting the sustainable food system.

KEYWORDS:

• Dietary transformation
• malnutrition
• Spirulina
• sustainable development goals
• therapeutic application

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).