What’s up with Algae now? 

Cyanotech

Cyanotech Corporation produces BioAstin Natural Astaxanthin and Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica—all natural, functional nutrients that leverage our experience and reputation for quality, building nutritional brands which promote health and well-being. Cyanotech’s spirulina, FDA reviewed and accepted as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) for use as a food ingredient, augments energy and immune response. BioAstin’s benefits derive from its superior antioxidant activity and from its ability to fight free radical damage and combat ongoing oxidative stress, enhancing skin, muscle and joint health.

Earthrise Nutritionals

Earthrise’s farm is the world’s largest Spirulina farm, and together with our sister company’s farm in China, DIC group is the largest Spirulina producer in the world. The Farm is located in the Sonoran Desert of southeastern California far from highways, airports and cities. Our Spirulina is grown under controlled without the use of pesticides and herbicides .

A wholly owned subsidiary of DIC, Earthrise Nutritionals, based in Irvine, California, is a Spirulina production and sales company with an annual yield of approximately 500 tons. The company’s outdoor algae cultivation facility, which covers a total area of 180,000 square meters, is the world’s largest. Earthrise is the only company in the continental United States to succeed in the mass cultivation of algae outdoors.

This August is the scheduled completion date of a new extraction plant for Linablue, Spirulina-derived natural blue food coloring. Construction of the plant, which is located on the site of subsidiary Earthrise Nutritionals, LLC, the DIC Group’s U.S. Spirulina* production base, began in May 2014. After commissioning, commercial production is expected to begin in September. The new facility gives the parent DIC Group “the world’s largest and most stable supply of the highest-grade Spirulina natural blue food coloring.”

Euglena

The company aims to “research, develop, produce and market microalgae with a strong focus on euglena. Euglena is a single celled organism (microalgae) that can photosynthesize using its chloroplasts and extensive research has been conducted for its effective use. Euglena, which contains most of the nutrients required for human survival, is expected to be used effectively in functional foods and cosmetics.”

In June 2014, we reported that Izuzu Motors has teamed with Euglena Co. to develop a new kind of drop-in fuels from algae, with the technology expected to be on the market by 2018. Euglena has already been developing jet fuel from algae with ANA Airlines.

Evodos

Evodos is the developer and manufacturer of “Dynamic Settlers,”fast rotating equipment to separate fine particles from one or more liquids. The working principle of these Dynamic Settlers is Evodos proprietary separation technology, called Spiral Plate Technology. Applications range from highly diluted soft particles like algae to abrasive mixtures like saturated drilling fluids from the oil industry. Evodos equipment is sold either directly or through dealers. The company is based in Raamsdonksveer, The Netherlands.

In April 2013, Heliae announced a partnership with Evodos to offer its proprietary Spiral Plate Technology to North America. With this deal in place, Heliae has a license to distribute the Evodos technology with a focus on the North American markets. Heliae will be including Evodos harvesting technology in its new commercial facility scheduled for completion in Q3 2013, but will begin distribution for Evodos immediately. The Evodos harvesting process delivers a dewatered live algae paste that is over 98 percent free of extracellular water and extremely stable for product development.