Seaweed biotech company BioMara, in partnership with UK ingredient supplier Macphie and Abertay University, has completed a landmark project under the Innovate UK’s multi-million-pound Better Food for All programme. The collaborative project is billed as a major step forward in bringing climate-positive, health-boosting ingredients to the mainstream.
The focus of the project was Seafibrex, BioMara’s functional food ingredient derived from regenerative farmed seaweed. Produced using BioMara’s proprietary extraction process, Seafibrex delivers a combination of fibres, antioxidants, bioavailable minerals and complex carbohydrates designed to improve the nutritional profile of everyday foods and promote population-level health improvements.
Working closely with Macphie and the Faculty of Social and Applied Sciences at Abertay University, the project proved that Seafibrex can be integrated into breads, muffins and plant-based meats without compromising on taste, texture or manufacturing efficiency.
The programme notes that despite decades of public health messaging, only 9% of UK adults currently meet the recommended daily intake of 30g of fibre. The national average remains around 19g unchanged in over 10 years. This persistent shortfall is a key contributor to rising rates of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colon cancer. Seafibrex was developed specifically to close this gap providing a simple, scalable way to enhance fibre intake through familiar foods.
“This is a timely and valuable initiative aimed at improving the nation’s health without asking people to give up the foods they love. The programme has shown that seaweed-based ingredients like Seafibrex can be incorporated into our product lines without sacrificing taste or quality. We’re also seeing growing demand from our customers for innovative functional ingredient solutions from reliable local suppliers that align with wellness and sustainability trends,” Macphie’s Paul McKnight said.
According to the project, three key achievements were:
- BioMara developed a proprietary extraction process to produce Seafibrex. The result is a cost-competitive, clean-label ingredient that enhances the nutritional profile of food while enhancing flavour, texture and consumer appeal
- Macphie successfully incorporated Seafibrex into core bakery formulations at its industrial-scale facilities. Trials demonstrated that Seafibrex performed well in production and met the quality standards expected by commercial bakery partners
- Abertay University conducted consumer sensory evaluations in its state-of-the-art labs, confirming that Seafibrex-enhanced products were well received in terms of taste, texture, and mouthfeel, even in demanding categories like plant-based meat and baked goods
“The UK faces a nutrition crisis, with fast and convenience foods dominating diets and driving chronic disease,” BioMara CEO Jay Dignan said. “Seafibrex offers a breakthrough solution as a functional ingredient that can help by making nutritious food more accessible, without requiring consumers to change their habits. It’s affordable, sustainable, and scientifically proven.”
With process and product validation complete, BioMara is scaling up production and actively forming new partnerships with food manufacturers and bakery brands.
