NORTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) – As miles of sargassum washed ashore on South Florida beaches, new findings show repurposing the brown algae for food might be a new option.<\/p>\n
The issue began when sargassum would wash ashore on South Florida beaches, and when the city removes and disposes of it, the process becomes costly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe problem starts when it\u2019s washed ashore on our beaches, and then it\u2019s a problem, so the city removes it, dumps it, and it costs money as well,\u201d said Dr. Imran Ahmad, a food science and technology research professor in Florida International University\u2019s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ahmad hit the beach with a goal of removal as well as repurposing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe approach was, can we use it once it\u2019s harvested or died at the shore for any purpose, so it\u2019s a simple screening of what it contains, it\u2019s basically a polysaccharide,\u201d said Dr. Ahmad.<\/p>\n
Scientists said sargassum contains a natural ingredient called alginate. Alginate is used to thicken some of our favorite foods and guilty pleasures like sauces and ice cream.<\/p>\n
Once it goes through Dr. Ahmad\u2019s complex process, the sargassum will look like a pure white powder.<\/p>\n
Sargassum isn\u2019t currently classified as a food source and can carry contaminants.<\/p>\n
Therefore, Dr. Ahmad got to work using high-pressure processing, reducing the risk of bacteria while preserving useful compounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have seen many products on the shelf, like naturally freshly squeezed juices, guacamole; they all use high-pressure processing,\u201d said Dr. Ahmad.<\/p>\n
The high pressure kills bacteria and always maintains the structure to stay intact, turning a problem into a product.<\/p>\n
With Miami a destination for fun, Dr. Ahmad said, this is another way the Chaplin School at FIU continues to better the hospitality and tourism industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cTaking that angle, we have a solution for the world. Get rid of it from our beaches. Making use of something that is going to be waste anyway, we can still extract something more important that the food industry actually needs,\u201d said Dr. Ahmad.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ahmad said the next step is to see how this alginate interacts with other food ingredients before we can eat it ourselves.<\/p>\n
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