The Anonymous Widower

The Plans For Giant Seaweed Farms In European Waters

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

The article describes how the Dutch are developing the growing and harvesting of seaweed.

This is all fascinating stuff and reminds me of reading of a company called Alginate Industries in the Meccano Magazine in the 1950s.

I can’t find much about the company, except that they were taken over by Merck & Co in 1979.

The Wikipedia entry for alginic acid, gives this information on alginates.

Alginates are refined from brown seaweeds. Throughout the world, many of the Phaeophyceae class brown seaweeds are harvested to be processed and converted into sodium alginate. Sodium alginate is used in many industries including food, animal food, fertilisers, textile printing, and pharmaceuticals. Dental impression material uses alginate as its means of gelling. Food grade alginate is an approved ingredient in processed and manufactured foods.

I remember the Meccano Magazine saying that alginates were an important food additive and UK production came from the North of Scotland.

This page on the Secret Scotland wiki gives details of current alginate production in Scotland.

Has Wikipedia replaced the Meccano Magazine, as a source of information for scientifically-inquisitive children?

August 8, 2022 - Posted by AnonW | Food | Alginate Industries, Meccano Magazine, Scotland, Seaweed, The Netherlands