Western Australian marine science solutions company, SeaStock, has secured a $740,000 matched co-investment with Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) to develop functional ingredients from seaweed.
FaBA is a $178 million initiative through the federal government’s Trailblazers Universities Program, that brings together leading university researchers and industry experts to drive innovation in food and beverage ingredients. The $740,000 matched co-investment aims to support SeaStock’s development and certification of safe, high-purity ingredients that meet Australian and international food and beverage standards.
SeaStock specialises in onshore algae cultivation and compound extraction, and is currently working to commercialise Ruby Sea – its high purity, naturally derived red pigment (R-Phycoerythrin (R-PE)) extracted from sustainably cultivated Asparagopsis seaweed.
The company was also an early recipient of the federal government’s Industry Growth Program, receiving $136,000 to lower supply chain environmental impact using ingredients made from its seaweed.
SeaStock co-founder and managing director, Tom Puddy, said the support from FaBA will accelerate the company’s ability to deliver high-purity, naturally derived functional ingredients for the food and beverage sector.
“It validates the scientific and commercial potential of our circular production model and IP-led strategy. On behalf of SeaStock, I’d like to thank FaBA for their support and belief in the impact potential of algae-based innovation,” said Puddy.
Asparagopsis has been a hot topic in the industry over the past few years, as it can be used to significantly lower cattle methane emissions when added to livestock feed. Tasmanian-based Sea Forest was one of the leaders of this research, and recently signed a long-term distribution agreement and partnership with the Netherlands-based Orffa to access the European Union.
Aside from this project, SeaStock aims to lead in the production and extraction of algae-based compounds that replace synthetic additives with sustainable, high-performance alternatives. The company stated demand for seaweed products in the food industry is increasing globally due to its proficiency in adding nutritional value to food products and replacing synthetic food colouring.
The FaBA investment will enable SeaStock to progress key research and development stages, including:
- safe and scalable extraction of food-grade R-PE pigment (RUBY SEATM)
- identification and evaluation of commercially viable co-products
- generation of data to support Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and international regulatory approval
- bench-scale to pilot-scale production to facilitate material transfer agreements and early customer validation.
FaBA director, Dr Chris Downs, said the organisation was proud to invest in SeaStock’s pioneering work in algae-based innovation.
“Its approach to developing clean-label, functional ingredients aligns strongly with FaBA’s mission to accelerate the growth of Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing sector through science-led commercialisation,” said Downs.
“By replacing synthetic additives with natural compounds, SeaStock has the potential to help shape a more sustainable and health-conscious future for consumers.”
