Seaweed-Based Fibre Ingredient Shows Potential to Boost Nutrition in Everyday Foods Without Compromising Texture or Taste
- BioMara
- Sep 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 1
Edinburgh & Nottingham, UK – 15 September 2025 – Technologists at the University of Nottingham’s Food Innovation Centre (FIC), in collaboration with BioMara Ltd, have completed a series of application trials investigating the performance of Seafibrex, a seaweed-derived functional fibre ingredient, in three popular food formats: pork sausages, vegan burgers and gluten-free bread.
The research was supported under Innovate UK’s ‘Better Food for All’ programme, aimed at developing technical solutions to enable healthier diets through food reformulation, without requiring changes in consumer behaviour.
Seafibrex: A Natural Seaweed Ingredient for Functional Food Reformulation
Seafibrex is a patent-pending ingredient extracted from sustainably cultivated brown seaweed (Alaria esculenta) using BioMara’s proprietary process. Rich in dietary fibre and bioactive marine polysaccharides, the ingredient was evaluated for its impact on texture, water retention, cook performance, and sensory acceptability across several food systems.
“The primary focus of this work was to assess the functional properties of Seafibrex when incorporated into common food matrices and evaluate the impact it had on the moisture and oil retention, structure, texture and flavour of the products,” said Jessica Gray, Food Technologist at the University of Nottingham.
“In many cases, Seafibrex delivered comparable or improved results versus traditional ingredients. It was particularly effective at delivering mouthfeel and flavour in reduced-fat and reduced-salt applications, meaning Seafibrex shows real potential for reformulation projects involving salt and fat reduction.”
1. Pork Sausages: Supporting Fat Reduction with Good Moisture and Texture
Formulations of pork sausages with 2.5%, 5%, and 10% Seafibrex were tested, including reduced-fat and reduced-salt versions. The 2.5% addition level emerged as the most viable from a sensory and processing perspective, offering improved moisture retention without negatively affecting flavour or texture.
Moisture content and oil loss in cooking were positively impacted by Seafibrex, particularly at 5% inclusion.
The reduced-fat formulation (50% less pork belly, 5% Seafibrex) demonstrated greater moisture retention and high acceptability in sensory tests, offering a potential route for healthier sausage formulations.
“Seafibrex enabled greater water holding in reduced-fat formulations, which is critical for maintaining juiciness and delivering flavour in reduced-fat sausages,” added Gray.
2. Vegan Burgers: Enhancing Fibre and Water Retention Without Methylcellulose
The vegan burger trials investigated Seafibrex as a replacement for methylcellulose and pea fibre, across standard and reformulated (reduced-fat/salt) recipes. Key findings included:
At 2.5% inclusion, Seafibrex retained the best texture and moisture while avoiding “fishy” flavour notes often associated with marine ingredients.
The 5% addition supported fat reduction by enhancing water binding, allowing for a 50% reduction in oil with good structure maintenance.
The trials identified texture and water-holding advantages, suggesting Seafibrex could support clean-label reformulation by reducing the need for synthetic binders.
3. Gluten-Free Bread: A Natural Alternative to Hydrocolloids
The FIC also evaluated Seafibrex in gluten-free bread, comparing its performance with commonly used hydrocolloids (psyllium husk and CMC) and assessing optimal water addition methods.
Loaves with 2% Seafibrex (added directly to the dry ingredients) delivered comparable structure, volume and texture to psyllium husk without perceptible marine flavours.
Notably, pre-hydration of Seafibrex was unnecessary as it did not positively impact the final loaf, which helps to simplify processing.
At 2% direct addition, Seafibrex created a more open, sourdough-style crumb, which may be advantageous for certain GF formulations.
“Seafibrex’s ability to create and maintain structure in gluten-free systems is particularly valuable given the challenges associated with clean-label gluten-free bakery reformulation,” noted Gray.
A Tool for Food Manufacturers Addressing Fibre, Fat, and Salt Challenges
Across all three product categories, the research showed that Seafibrex can support efforts to:
Increase fibre in everyday products;
Reduce fat and salt without sacrificing mouthfeel or flavour;
Reduce common binders like methylcellulose in plant-based formats;
Improve structure creation and texture in gluten-free recipes.
These results complement earlier work conducted in collaboration with Abertay University and bakery ingredient supplier Macphie that demonstrated the successful application of Seafibrex in muffins and breads.
About the Collaboration
This research was part of an Innovate UK-funded initiative to identify solutions that enable better diets without requiring behavioural change. BioMara provided the ingredient and technical background, while the Food Innovation Centre at the University of Nottingham designed and ran the formulation and analysis trials across meat, plant-based, and bakery formats.
University of Nottingham Food Innovation Centre
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