The Sustainable Superfood Shaping CPG
Could kelp be the key to sustainability and wellness in CPG? Kelp captures carbon, regenerates ocean ecosystems, and packs a nutritional punch - and brands are taking notice!
According to Nielsen’s The 2025 Outlook for Emerging Brands sustainability and wellness are two of the biggest factors shaping consumer spending. “Today’s consumers are increasingly seeking eco-friendly products that align with their values, with preferences for recyclable packaging, ethical sourcing, and carbon-neutral practices driving their purchasing decisions.”¹ In 2022, Nielsen shared that 78% of consumers value sustainable lifestyles.² Consumers are voting with their dollars, supporting brands that create positive social and environmental impact. On the subject of wellness, Nielsen states that there is “a growing demand for functional foods, plant-based alternatives, and clean-label products that cater to health-conscious consumers”.¹ CPG marketers have seen a wave of health-focused products enter the market for the past five years. It’s not surprising after reading statistics like “79 percent of [consumers] said they believe that wellness is important, and 42 percent consider it a top priority.”³ It’s clear that the ‘trends’ of sustainability and wellness are here to stay.
These two trends are undoubtedly interrelated, stemming from the same overarching value of longevity. However, in the CPG world, these trends are treated separately. When marketers think about sustainability, the first thing that comes to mind is packaging. It’s the easiest way to communicate positive impact to customers. But packaging shouldn’t be the end of the search in finding ways to make products more eco-friendly. Ingredients are a great way to make an impact on the environmental footprint of a product. Ingredients also play a crucial role in the health benefit of consumables, providing an opportunity to impact nutrition too. This curiosity led me to explore raw materials that align with both environmentalism and health consciousness. This is how I came across kelp, a type of seaweed. After a deep dive into this raw material, I believe kelp could be the next big trend in both eco-friendliness and holistic health.
This month, we’ll be diving into kelp. I’ll share some of the environmental benefits and health benefits of kelp. Together we’ll explore four brands using kelp in the CPG space that have peaked my interest.
What is Kelp?
Kelp are long brown algae that grow in clusters close to the shoreline. Kelp need sunlight for photosynthesis so they’re found in shallow, open water. They provide a place for marine life to thrive by offering food and shelter.⁴ Kelp is a great raw material for food and packaging. In packaging, it can be used as an alternative to plastic because it’s biodegradable.⁵ However, I’m most interested in how kelp is used as an ingredient in food products. After exploring the environmental and health benefits, we’ll explore four CPG brands making a splash with kelp.
With consumers prioritizing the health of the planet and their physical health, kelp stands out as an ingredient that meets both needs. Let’s explore how kelp is helping to heal the planet before looking at its impact on health.
What Makes Kelp Sustainable?
Kelp can grow up to 3 meters per day, making it highly renewable.⁵
Kelp doesn’t require fresh water or fertilizer to be grown so it’s inexpensive to produce.⁵
Kelp acts as a carbon sink, absorbing CO2 during photosynthesis to combat rising global temperatures.⁶
Kelp reduces ocean acidification, stabilizing ocean ecosystems.⁷
Kelp forests help buffer erosion on the coast lines creating habitats that support marine biodiversity.⁷
Kelp farming provides a sustainable income stream for fishing communities, offering financial resilience amid changing ocean conditions.
Kelp’s role in environmental health is clear, but what about human health? Research shows that this superfood is packed with essential nutrients, making it a functional ingredient with big potential.
What Makes Kelp Healthy?
Kelp was found to help reduce body fat.⁸
Kelp is an excellent source of micronutrients - Vitamin K, Folate, Magnesium.⁹
Kelp is a prebiotic, supporting gut health.⁹
Kelp is high in iodine, which helps the thyroid balance hormones (although too much iodine risks dysregulation).¹⁰
Kelp is a great source of amino acids making it a great plant based protein.¹¹
Now that we’re on the same wave about kelp’s impressive resume of environmental, social and health benefits, let’s explore the brands that are leagues ahead in using this raw ingredient.
Barnacle Foods
Barnacle Foods transforms wild Alaskan kelp into versatile, flavourful food products with locally sourced ingredients. Barnacle Foods was founded by Matt and Lia, in their home town of Juneau, Alaska. The pair began when they were working on the ocean, bringing home bull kelp when the fish didn’t bite. They used the kelp to create salsas and hot sauces. As the batches grew over the years Lia and Matt decided to share their jarred goodness with a wider community. Today their products are sold in over 1,200 stores across Canada and the US. Barnacle Foods showcases how kelp can serve as a tasty, eco-friendly ingredient in everyday condiments.
Atlantic Sea Farms
Atlantic Sea Farms was founded in 2009 with the goal of delivering delicious food from regenerative cultivation and supporting fishing communities facing volatility by providing another source of income through kelp farming. Atlantic Sea Farms works with over 40 partners across Maine to cultivate the raw material needed to create a whole host of CPG. “We’re not only creating one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, but we’re also allowing fishermen to adapt to climate change through diversifying their income source and absorbing some of the shock of that industry.”¹² By turning kelp into nutrient-rich burgers and smoothie cubes, Atlantic Sea Farms is creating climate-friendly food while supporting coastal communities.
12 Tides
12 Tides create crispy, crunchy snacks with kelp. They began with the mission of creating a regenerative food source that heals ocean ecosystems. Since their launch in 2019, 12 Tides has responsibly harvested over 600K lbs of kelp, restored more than 27K sq. ft. of kelp, diverted more than 50,000 lbs of plastic, and has sold over 1M bags of their crispy delights! 12 Tides boasts a variety of fantastic certifications including USDA certified organic and B-corp certification. They even donate 1% of sales to SeaTrees, a non profit devoted to kelp restoration. Every crunch of a 12 Tides kelp chip supports ocean restoration, helping to replenish marine ecosystems and fight climate change.
Rootless
Founded by Sachi Singh, Rootless supports gut health, cognition, and hormonal balance with 40+ essential nutrients all packed in a bite-sized punch. After struggling with hormone imbalance for decades, Singh turned to Ayurveda to treat the cause with food - and kelp! She now brings the benefits of seaweed to the masses through Rootless. Her goal is to help 1 billion women reclaim their health. Rootless combines a proprietary blend of 5 seaweeds - dulse, ulva, sea moss, bladderwack, and kelp - to deliver a convenient way to balance hormones and support digestion. Rootless is supporting women and our oceans with these nutrient dense daily bites.
Kelp offers a host of environmental benefits like being highly regenerative, capturing carbon, and reducing ocean acidification. Kelp farming also delivers the social benefit of offering fishing communities income diversification. On top of the environmental and social benefits, kelp has a laundry list of health benefits like being rich in micronutrients, supporting gut health, and balancing hormones. It’s clear why brands like Barnacle Foods, Atlantic Sea Farms, 12 Tides, and Rootless are leveraging kelp as a raw material to create CPG. These trend setters are a step ahead of the sustainability and wellness trends highlighted in The 2025 Outlook on Emerging Brands.
With brands innovating beyond packaging and embracing regenerative ingredients, could kelp be the future of food? The tide is turning—who will ride the next wave?
Sources
1: Nielsen IQ (2024). The 2025 Outlook for Emerging Brands. https://nielseniq.com/global/en/insights/report/2024/2025-outlook-emerging-brands/
2: Nielsen IQ (2022). Sustainability: The New Consumer Spending Outlook. https://nielseniq.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/10/2022-10_ESG_eBook_NIQ_FNL.pdf
3: McKinsey (February 6, 2023). Consumers Care About Sustainability - And Back It Up With Their Wallets. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/consumers-care-about-sustainability-and-back-it-up-with-their-wallets
4: National Ocean Service (n.d.) What Is a Kelp Forest? https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/kelp.html
5: Jane Marsh (2021). Is Seaweed the Future of Packaging? https://biofriendlyplanet.com/is-seaweed-the-future-of-packaging
6: Kelp Blue (n.d.) Re-Wilding the Oceans. https://www.kelp.blue/kelp?
7: World Wild Life Foundation (n.d.) Why seaweed is a jack-of-all-trades in the fight against the climate crisis. https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/why-seaweed-is-a-jack-of-all-trades-in-the-fight-against-the-climate-crisis
8: Seiichiro Aoe, et. al. (June 22, 2021) Effects of Daily Kelp (Laminaria japonica) Intake on Body Composition, Serum Lipid Levels, and Thyroid Hormone Levels in Healthy Japanese Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8307228/
9: Cleveland Clinic (October 9, 2024). Is Kelp Good For You? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-kelp
10: Integris Health (March 13, 2023). What Is Kelp and How Can You Add it to Your Diet? https://integrishealth.org/resources/on-your-health/2023/march/what-is-kelp
11: Leonel Pereira et. al. (April 10, 2024) Seaweed Proteins: A Step towards Sustainability https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11054349/#
12: Wall Street Journal. (July 12, 2024) Why You Might Be Eating More Seaweed in the Future https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/wsj-the-future-of-everything/why-you-might-be-eating-more-seaweed-in-the-future
