Cultured Microalgae for the Food Industry: Current and Potential Applications

Cultured Microalgae for the Food Industry: Current and Potential Applications is a comprehensive reference that addresses the current applications and potential uses of microalgae and microalgae-derived compounds in the food industry. The book explores the different steps of the subject, from strain selection and cultivation steps, to the assessment of the public perception of microalgae consumption and the gastronomical potential of this innovative resource. Readers will find coverage of microalgae biology, common and uncommon algae species, cultivation strategies for food applications, novel extraction techniques, safety issues, regulatory issues, and current market opportunities and challenges.

This title also explores the gastronomic potential of microalgae and reviews current commercialized products along with consumer attitudes surrounding microalgae. Covering relevant, up-to-date research as assembled by a group of contributors who are experts in their respective fields, the book is an essential reading for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, and researchers in the microbiology, biotechnology, food science and technology fields.

• Thoroughly explores the optimization, cultivation and extraction processes for increased bioactive compound yields
• Includes industrial functionality, bio-accessibility and the bioavailability of the main compounds obtained from microalgae
• Presents novel trends and the gastronomic potential of microalgae utilization in the food industry

Tomás Lafarga: Following on from his Master in Chemical Engineering, degree specialization in Biotechnology and Food Science at the University of Almeria in Spain, Tomás Lafarga was awarded with a Teagasc Walsh Fellowship and completed a PhD in Agriculture and Food Science at University College Dublin, one of the leading research-intensive European universities and Teagasc, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority. Dr Lafarga has over 90 publications on varied aspects of food sustainability and waste management published in high impact factor journals and books and book chapters and over 50 contributions to national and international conferences. He has received several professional scholarships and awards including Juan de la Cierva and Ramón y Cajal fellowships awarded by the Spanish Gobernment and a Wang Shang Fellowship awarded by the International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods on recognition for his outstanding performance in graduate studies and research on nutraceuticals and functional foods. After his PhD, Dr Lafarga worked as a Scientific Researcher in the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA) in Lleida and the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Almería in Spain. His research lines include the development of novel safe, high-quality, and healthy foods using non-thermal and environmentally-friendly technologies and the revalorization of waste and food co-products to obtain novel ingredients and reduce the environmental impact of food processing. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Food Science and Technology and a scientific member of SOLABIAA and RENUWAL. Dr Lafarga co-edited the book “Cultured Microalgae for the food industry”.