The Seaweed Company has established Ireland's first seaweed farm and processing facility in Mulroy Bay, using EU funds to expand production of the marine food.

The family-run company cultivates native seaweed species like Alaria, a type of kelp, on the aquaculture site overseen by general manager Lorraine Gallagher. 

"Mulroy Bay is perfect for the production of seaweed," said Gallagher. "We have very cold waters in which species such as Alaria thrive. The bay is also very sheltered and often referred to as ‘fjord-like,’ which is an ideal setting for aquaculture."

Once harvested, the seaweed is transported to the onshore processing facility, where it undergoes cleaning, shredding, and fast-drying within three hours. The processed seaweed is then bagged and shipped to food manufacturers.

The primary use currently is as a meat substitute called SeaMeat, added to products like beef burgers to replace up to 25% of the meat content. This lowers the carbon footprint while enhancing flavor, texture and shelf life.

Gallagher credited EU financial support as critical in enabling the scale-up to commercial production and processing capabilities. "The funding has allowed us to scale-up our production as well as develop our new processing facility which allows us to dry the seaweed quickly so it can be transported and used in food production," she said.

Further R&D is underway for other applications in horticulture, pharmaceuticals and novel foods.