Microalgae have emerged as a promising candidate for protein ingredient development, owing to their high nutrient content, CO2 consumption capacity, and potential for decoupling food production from land use. However, their application in foods is hindered by several obstacles, including the undesirable sensory characteristics of many microalgae species.
The industry is working to overcome these barriers by developing varying approaches, from genetic and metabolic engineering to encapsulation. Paris-based startup Edonia, meanwhile, has been advancing a different strategy; using a process it has coined ‘edonisation’ to turn microalgae biomass into a consumer-friendly protein ingredient.
It all started when Hugo Valentin and Pierre Mignon came up with an idea for generating new textures from spirulina biomass, alongside altering the colour and taste of the microalgae. The entrepreneurs joined forces with Paris-Saclay University’s research department, AgroParisTech, to develop a pilot process for bringing about this transformation.
“We are very passionate about microalgae as we know it is very sustainable – it can be grown on a large scale with a low environmental impact. We also know it is already available and allowed for human consumption. And it’s one of the most nutritious foods on earth with its high protein and micronutrient content.
“The problem is that the taste, texture, and appearance is not good. We wanted to solve this issue in order to unlock its potential in human food,” Hugo Valentin, co-founder of Edonia, told Fi Global Insights.
Molecular chemistry at work
An understanding of the volatile compounds that contribute to the aromatic properties of microalgae is at the core of Edonia’s solution.
“We knew that there are a lot of aromatic precursors within the biomass; glutamic acid, for example. We also knew that by manipulating pigments, we could change the colour from green to brown and achieve an animal protein-like taste profile,” Valentin explained.
Edonia would also harness the gelling functionality that is inherent in certain molecules within microalgae, such as proteins, to create a more desirable texture.
“The texture we were targeting was a fluffy texture, similar to ground meat,” he said.
In order to do this, Valentin said they identified some process parameters that activated these gelling properties.
Edo-1: 30% protein, all the essential amino acids, and micronutrients
The challenge was compounded by the fact that Edonia wanted to achieve this without extracting the molecules from the biomass.
“This made it more difficult because it was a more complex environment - the molecules were melded to others in the matrix – but it was important to us,” Valentin explained.
“Lots of other startups are working on microalgae and are developing food ingredients based on microalgae, but most of these are producing mono-functional ingredients. They might, for example, extract the protein and sell it as an isolate, extract one pigment and sell it as a colourant, or extract a polysaccharide and sell it as a texturiser. We use the whole biomass to create a complete ingredient that delivers taste, texture, and nutrition.”
Because Edonia is currently filing a patent for its technology, Valentin would not reveal anything further about the ‘edonisation’ process, except to clarify that one process triggers all three effects and that it is a physical process, which does not rely on fermentation, extrusion or enzymatic treatment.
The outcome is Edo-1 – a complete, ready-to-eat plant-based ingredient that outperforms its meat- and soy- counterparts in terms of its nutritional profile, according to Edonia. It contains 30 percent protein, all the essential amino acids, and micronutrients, including iron.
Target applications: Minced beef and textured soy alternative
Edonia confirmed that its primary target application is replacing minced beef or textured soy in prepared meals such as Bolognese and lasagne. A secondary focus will be pitching it as a natural nutritional enhancer for a variety of foods, from bread, chocolate cake, and protein bars to medical nutrition products.
Price-wise, Edonia says Edo-1 is similar to ground beef on a per gram of protein basis. In other words, the ingredient is more expensive than ground beef but has a higher protein content.
“We are finding that customers can keep the recipe cost the same when replacing ground beef with our ingredient. A plant-based Bolognese sauce made with our ingredient will not be more expensive than one made with ground beef,” clarified Valentin.
Compared to other vegan meat substitutes, such as textured soy, the main advantages are its clean label and natural credentials, he said.
“It can be labelled simply as ‘spirulina’ and because of its completeness as an ingredient solution, there is no need for other flavours, texturisers, and stabilisers, which makes for a shorter and cleaner label,” Valentin noted.
The opening of a pilot plant in late 2024 has enabled the startup to start selling its ingredient to food manufacturers for proof of concept and it has plans to scale up production in 2026, as well as to introduce an ingredient derived from chlorella biomass.
“We know that we will be able to transform any microalgae but we are starting with those that are allowed for human consumption and for which supply chains are already in place,” explained Valentin.