Microalgae as sustainable food: incorporation as strategy in the formulation of functional food

Abstract Society has been seeking healthier eating habits, aiming at achieving a better quality of life. These habits are intrinsically related to everyday actions, such as diet. Therefore, over the past years, several studies have focused on the use of microalgae for enriching food products, given their nutritional composition and the high content of bioactive compounds, which enable the production of healthier products, with functional attributes and, in some cases, at a lower cost. The microalgae which are most commonly used in enriching food products include Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina) and Chlorella vulgaris, due to their great protein content, between 40% and 70% in dry biomass, as well as due to other valuable components, such as pigments, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, among others. With this in mind, this chapter aims to combine the various studies that describe the influence of adding this biomass, considering their nutritional value, and the sensory properties of food. Depending on the type of food, the possible incorporation levels can vary between 0.2% and 5.0% of microalga, enabling its use in the composition of several food products, namely bread, biscuits, pasta, dairy products, meat by-products or substitutes, among others. When considering the methods of production of microalgae and their capacity in mitigating CO2 levels, these biomasses can be considered as sustainable dietary ingredients, thus converging to a concept of healthy and sustainable eating habits.