Alterations in our dietary habits, like minimising our meat consumption, have considerable environmental benefits, particularly in combating climate change and biodiversity loss. The question arises whether a sustainable farm product could substitute a portion of meat in a burger, enhancing its taste even further. This is where SeaMeat, a product cultivated and processed in Donegal by the company TSC Green Turtle, a subsidiary of the Dutch organisation The Seaweed Company, comes into play.
Lorraine Gallagher, the leader of TSC Green Turtle, grew up around Mulroy Bay, collaborating with the bay’s aquaculture ventures. She has pleasant recollections from her childhood of deploying shellfish collectors into the bay and observing various fascinating creatures latching onto them, she recounts. Gallagher pursued courses in business, and later human nutrition biochemistry, studying the significance of seaweed from a health perspective and seafood innovation. She also previously worked as a seafood purchaser for Aldi. In 2014, Gallagher sought a seaweed farming license, officially beginning its cultivation. By 2019, they were given permission to cultivate a 24-hectare area.
Every October, 30km of lines are embedded with organic alaria seaweed. Over six months, the alaria develops from a seed to fully grown fronds by consuming the water’s nutrients. As a result, more than 100 tonnes of fresh seaweed can be harvested in April by a capable team of harvesters from the bay, which boasts ‘class-A’ waters and full organic status. Furthermore, Gallagher’s seaweed farm participates in a European project, demonstrating how aquafarms can operate concurrently with mussel, oyster, and fish farms.
The following obstacle is establishing a market for this healthy and sustainable alternative. People are not naturally inclined to consume seaweed, Gallagher points out. To combat this, they’ve recently launched a new processing facility in Downings, where the seaweed will be dried to produce SeaMeat flakes. This product can replace around 25% of the meat in a burger, adding to its flavour and health benefits. Gallagher is negotiating its retail with major Irish stores, and SeaMeat burgers are already being sold in Europe. The ground-breaking product enhances the burgers’ appearance, extends their shelf life by a day, and adds a delightful texture and flavour to them without anyone realising it’s seaweed. According to Gallagher, SeaMeat also pairs well with pork and chicken.
Gallagher reports that sensory panel testing affirms a substantial enhancement of taste due to its application. The produce this year could potentially substitute up to a quarter of the meat in countless burgers. Their target market primarily includes flexitarian consumers. With the challenge faced by farmers in getting livestock and crops into water-saturated fields, cultivation of seaweed appears to be a more climate-proof option in the food manufacturing process. It’s evident that our interaction with the environment has the potential to completely transform our global situation, given that we permit it.