In fact, it’s been spotted and identified as a new “superfood” that could not only be a contender as a plant-based alternative but could also help reduce the consequences of human food on global warming.
Last week, at the Paris-Nord Villepinte exhibition centre where the SIAL International Food Show was taking place, a crowd had gathered around a particular product on display at the innovation space, which brought together the most striking new products that will shape what we eat tomorrow.
The “new” food in question? Duckweed, also known as water lens or water lentils. Protected by a glass cover, the package of 12 frozen pucks intrigued journalists and professional visitors.
It also impressed enough to win the silver medal of the innovation prize awarded by a jury of professionals at each edition of this major food industry event.
Straight from Thailand and packaged by Thai Coconut Public Company LTD, water lens is seen by food innovation experts as a “culinary aid proposal.
While the vegan market is expected to grow by 10.6% each year until 2030, according to a report by the American firm Grand Review Research, it is important to find protein alternatives to animal products. And this is one of the things that duckweed has going for it.
This plant that grows in fresh water – you have probably already seen a green carpet of it covering ponds or marshes – contains seven times more protein than soy.
The Thai Coconut company is betting that it will be an appealing ingredient for consumers in the form of a protein milkshake, a salad dressing, homemade breads or even in pasta and sauces.
In short, there’s a large diversity of culinary uses and potential consumption moments.
According to the Thai company, which exhibited its Make Me More branded product in the delicatessen pavilion, water lens has been a staple food in the “Land of Smiles” for a long time.
Its nutritional properties have already been studied, notably by the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel.
Scientists found that the mankai variety helped control blood sugar levels after study participants ate carbohydrate-rich foods. In China, duckweed is used as a dietary supplement to fight colds or even to reduce fever.
Rich in vitamin B12 as well as iron, duckweed’s nutritional assets- however interesting they may be – aren’t what will get people excited.
This “new” superfood has the power to feed people without polluting the earth. Since it is an aquatic plant, duckweed does not require agricultural land to be used or maintained.
They proliferate at a high speed without a lot of maintenance required and provide a shelter to the micro-organisms which live and grow under its shade in the marshes.
Better still, they have the capacity to absorb phosphate, nitrogen, chloride and even aluminum. However, the duckweed used for water purification probably shouldn’t be the same as that which is consumed by humans…
While the Make Me More brand launched its duckweed-based product last July, it’s not the first in this up-and-coming market.
Canadian brand SETA, which specialises in smoothie and latte ingredients, is highlighting non-GMO, pesticide-free production in Florida.