The revenue of the seaweed protein market was about $514 million in 2021, and it will reach about $1,398 million by 2030, advancing at a rate of about 12% in the future. Extraction of proteins from edible seaweeds for collection of health uses is a current trend. The usage of alternative protein sources is encouraged; unlike cattle farming, they do not contribute to land use and GHG emissions. Moreover, because of the danger of communicable ailments in animals, the use of meat proteins might reduce.

The proteins that are extracted from red seaweeds had the highest demand in the past. Red seaweeds have almost half of the global seaweed cultivation. Nori has the highest protein content, equal to 47%. Red seaweeds are significant for humans, mainly as a binder in food products and a bacterial substrate in labs. Eucheuma and kappaphycus are utilized for manufacturing carrageenan, in cosmetics and food processing, and for numerous industrial purposes.

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Sales of seaweed proteins through traditional methods had the highest share in 2021. Seaweed extracts produced using the conventional alkaline extraction technique offer higher yields than other procedures. Though these protein extraction methods are time-consuming and need a lot of solvents, the competence of the extraction is limited.

The food industry had over 80% of the total revenue from selling seaweed protein in 2021. Aligner alginates from the brown seaweed and carrageenan from red seaweed come in handy as thickening substances in bakery products, confectionaries, salad dressings, sweets and desserts, ice creams, beverage mix, sausages, processed meats, and fish, along with in the clarification of beers and wines.

Seaweed is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. To guarantee food security globally and see the large ocean area obtainable and its low use, there should be a shift in food production methods from land-based to sea-based. The increasing requirement for seaweed snacks, snowballing acceptance of Japanese cuisine, and surging consciousness on the incidence of plant substitutes to animal sources of nutrients drive the consumption of seaweed protein in the food sector.

In the APAC seaweed protein market, seaweeds and hydrocolloids consume around 60% of the total global production. China is the major importer of non-edible and edible seaweed for additional processing. Likewise, the Philippines follows China as the semi-processed and processed carrageenan exporter. Carrageenan from the Philippines has increased by over 40% in the last decade. The U.S. is the key carrageenan market, Brazil, Indonesia, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, and Thailand. The industry outlook is improving in the region because of the increasing number of partnerships between local manufacturers and processors, public and private firms, and government bodies.

Even though vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism, there is always a debate going on, there is no denying the fact that there has been an increase in the demand for seaweed protein in the contemporary world.