Algae, a versatile and sustainable renewable resource, offer a promising solution for various product applications without the need for freshwater, arable land, or added fertilizers and pesticides. Despite this potential, their utilization remains underexploited. The AlgaeProBANOS project, funded by Horizon Europe, aims to address this by harmonizing economic development with social and environmental goals in the Baltic and North Sea regions. The project supports six business pilots focusing on diverse sectors such as food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, textiles, feed, and plant biostimulants, leveraging both microalgae and macroalgae to innovate and scale up production.
To ensure market readiness and consumer acceptance, the project conducted an extensive literature review on the acceptance of algae-based products. This report synthesizes findings from 69 peer-reviewed papers spanning eleven years, highlighting the enablers and barriers to consumer acceptance across the six key sectors food, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, textiles, feed, and plant biostimulants. Key findings reveal that health and environmental benefits drive consumer interest, but barriers such as unfamiliarity, taste, and accessibility persist. The research underscores the importance of clear communication, transparency, and strategic marketing to enhance end consumer acceptance. Despite the novelty of the topic and limited specific studies, the report provides a comprehensive framework for understanding consumer dynamics, offering valuable insights for businesses, policymakers, and researchers aiming to integrate algae-based products into mainstream markets and promote sustainable consumer behaviour.
