Thrive: The first cooking oil made from algae

Solazyme, the microalgae specialist, has moved into the consumer goods market with the launch of their new product – Thrive. It’s the first culinary oil made from algae and will make its debut in Southern California’s Gelson’s Markets this week.

The oil boasts an impressive nutritional profile with greater than 90% monounsaturated fat, and around 4% polyunsaturated fat. Saturated fats make up around 4%, also. That makes it extraordinarily high in monounsaturated fats, and also quite low in saturated fat. Thrive is said to have a clean taste and an unusually high smoke point, making it easy to cook and create with.

Most cooking oils come from crops that are planted across vast plots of land, and take months of waiting to harvest and produce. In addition to being able to grow and harvest algae in days, its grown in large fermentation tanks instead of on land.

Algae require far less resources to cultivate and could be produced closer to the consumer if more locations are built. Thrive can essentially be made-to-order due its quick production. The end result is a product that is nutritious, more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Sources:

foodnavigator-usa.com

fresh.news