• Background

  Aquacultural production of kelp (a group of brown macroalgae) is on the rise worldwide and has great potential as both food and feed. Kelps contain several essential micronutrients but can also contain undesirably high levels of certain elements.

• Objective

  We are focusing on the species Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp) and Alaria esculenta (winged kelp), which are cultivated in Norway, and S. japonica, which is cultivated in China.

  We will characterize environmental and genetic variation in content of iodine and arsenic, reveal relationships between iodine content and stress tolerance in kelp, study how iodine content in kelp is a function of irradiance and temperature, including genes involved in this. We will study how processing affects content of iodine and arsenic in kelp-based food and feed, and how iodine and arsenic from kelp is taken up, transformed and accumulating in humans and in farmed animals.

  We will determine availability, uptake and allocation in cereals fertilized with kelp processing residues and manure from kelp-fed animals. We will compare critical levels and food regulations of macroalgal iodine and arsenic in China and Europe and relate our results to critical levels for these elements.

  Communication of results to food safety authorities, kelp, food and feed industry and other stakeholders is an important part of the project.

• More about the project

  The project is a collaboration between Norwegian and Chinese partners: Faculty of Biosciences and Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management at NMBU, Sintef Ocean AS, Institute of Marine Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yellow Sea Fisheries Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences.

  Lenke til prosjektside i Cristin: Prosjekt #2502477 - SafeKelp: Safe kelp for food and feed – controlling the transfer of iodine and arsenic through the value chain

  Lenke til prosjektside hos NFR: Safe kelp for food and feed – controlling the transfer of iodine and arsenic through the value chain - Prosjektbanken (forskningsradet.no)
• Publications

  Guo Y, Lundebye A-K, Li N, Ergon Å, Pang S, Jiang Y, Zhu W, Zhao Y, Li X, Yao L, Wang L, Aakre I. 2023. Comparative assessment of food safety regulations and standards for arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and iodine in macroalgae used as food and feed in China and Europe. Trends Food Sci Technol. 141: 104204. doi: 10.1016/j.tifs.2023.104204

  Goecke F, Gómez Garreta A, Martín–Martín R, Lluch JR, Skjermo J, Ergon Å. 2022. Nuclear DNA Content Variation in Different Life Cycle Stages of Sugar Kelp, Saccharina latissima. Marine Biotechn 24:706–721. doi: 10.1007/s10126-022-10137-9

Participants

External participants

Sintef Ocean AS: Silje Forbord, Ole Jacob Broch, Jorunn Skjermo

Institute of Marine Research: Inger Aakre

Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences