Produção de farinha de algas

Abstract

Seaweed, despite being widely consumed in eastern countries, is part of the new growing food group in Western countries, having been inserted more frequently in the human diet in the last decade. This raw material is most commonly processed for the production of animal feed and extraction of hydrocolloid agar. They have a high protein content, crude fiber, vitamins, antioxidant compound minerals and have a low energy content, in addition to being constituted by sulfated galactans, such as agar and carrageenan. These characteristics make this product gain more space in the food market. Algae are found mainly in warm tropical waters; in Brazil they are present on the high seas or on the coast, mainly in the northeast and southeast regions. Aiming to increase the insertion of this food in brazilian daily life, the present work aims to present the processing of algae for the production of flour, a product that can be easily found in the markets and can be consumed in natura or in the composition of recipes as an ingredient or nutritional enricher. This work includes literary review on the subject, process flowchart, description of manufacturing steps, industry layout, mass and energy balances, economic analysis of the product and the management of waste generated in production. The production capacity is initially 497 packages/day and from the economic analysis it was possible to set the price of the unit product at R$ 7.95 real and the suggested selling price of the final product was R$ 12.00 real. The new trends in the food market bring a more sustainable line where its consumers are more interested in obtaining a product that generates less environmental impacts and that maintains its natural characteristics. Based on this information, seaweed flour may attract a greater number of consumers nationally and, due to its favorable production conditions and its growth potential, it may also be present in international trade. Another important aspect is the generation of a source of income for the local population, given the increase in algae cultivation to supply the company's needs.