Potential opportunities for food usage of microalgae and the current regulatory scope

While microalgae have been utilised for food by humans for thousands of years, its usage in supplementation of our foods has the potential to lower demands on the environment. Microalgae are rich in protein, carbohydrates, and lipids and have a unique ability to synthesize medium to high market value ingredients including long-chain fatty acids. Several technological, regulatory and safety constraints need to be considered when importing or using microalgae as a food or food ingredient.