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Spirulina production
Spirulina production
With our one full score of years (20) of field experience as Antenna, we have developed the tools and training processes for the production of this remarkable dietary supplement in the developing countries. Recommended by the FAO [A review on culture, production and use of spirulina as food for humans and feeds for domestic animals and fish, FAO, 2008], the local production of spirulina gives communities access to a local and sustainable source. Antenna can enable the poorest families to cure and prevent nutrient deficiencies, which afflict children in particular.New technology: wind-powered cleaner-mixer unit
Practicals guides to produce spirulina
Local production of spirulina is a tool for development
The cultivation of spirulina has its humanitarian aspects because it brings with it a growing awareness by stakeholders of the causes of malnutrition and of its own role in enhancing the nutritional state of a country.Cultivating spirulina in situ optimises its availability for the local community and is more appealing than an export product, thereby becoming more acceptable for consumption.
By deciding to grow their own spirulina, developing countries can gradually integrate it into eating patterns. This route will allow it to become not only an excellent weapon in the fight against malnutrition but also a real tool for development.
No surprise then that local communities are highly motivated to be involved in a commercial way. This can be done by establishing an efficient network for distribution and communication, as well as a targeted education strategy with the local community on the nutritional qualities of spirulina.
Production techniques
We have conducted research on spirulina since 1992. We have benefited from the assistance of engineers and scientists, notably Jean-Paul Jourdan, in developing a method of growing spirulina at the local level, simply and effectively. It makes use of a production system in tanks and basins. The simple method of cultivating spirulina is especially suited to developing countries and to the realities of hot and desert climates.Our support to pilot production sites in tanks in developing countries underscores an innovation is appropriate to the wide-scale dissemination of a crop which is never damaged by insects or plant disease. For our partners, we develop knowledge products about the usefulness of spirulina; we provide a stock of selected spirulina cultivars; and we outline appropriate methods of cultivation, harvesting and consumption. Growth tanks can be either rectangular or round, with a depth of 20 cm, and constructed with simple, low-cost materials.
- On an annual basis, each m² cultivated can supply a cure for 20 children with deficiencies.
- 1 m² tank => production of 6 g/ day => 2 kg of dried spirulina a year.
- The cure for a malnourished child lasts for 6 to 8 weeks, using 2 g of spirulina a day, thus requiring => 100 g of dried spirulina
- The construction of a tank and accessories costs between EUR 100 and EUR 200 per m² (depending on size).
- Production of spirulina costs between EUR 15 and EUR 20 per kg.
Finally, many climates welcome spirulina production all year long. Further, since it is eaten locally, there is no need to conserve it. Indeed, fresh spirulina can be eaten directly without any processing or cooking, and thus without any additional use of energy.
There are varying scales of production, from household level ‘micro-production’ to semi-industrial plants. At the level of micro-enterprise plants at small- and medium-scale (producing between 50 and 3,000 grams of dried spirulina a day), all materials and most necessary equipment is normally available locally. The prime inputs required are conventional agricultural fertilisers, water and – optionally – electricity. Another input is soda, or bicarbonate of soda, which are both, in general, easy to source. They can also be replaced by ashes of solid woods.
Harvesting can be on a daily basis, and starts very soon after sowing the tanks. Generally, the first harvest is within a month and half of starting operations. Harvesting is simple, through a simple filtration of the growth medium. The filtered mass is then dried during the rest of the day and processed at the end of the afternoon.
When the dried mass has been crushed to powder, it can be eaten immediately, or added to traditional foodstuffs. Given its ease of use, spirulina is accepted even more by women when they witness for themselves how the health of their children improves.
With adequate packing, spirulina or spirulina-enriched products can be stored for long periods. This means that these high-value products can stored and sold on local markets.
Safety in production and protection against contamination
Given that spirulina is a photosynthetic micro-organism which grows in an aquatic environment, it avoids any problems of soil quality, parasites or plant disease.The fact that it grows in completely mineral growth media which are very alkaline (classically pH 10, rising to pH > 11), spirulina is practically immune to contamination by other organisms. This gives it the advantage that it can be grown with essentially no risk, even in low-tech situations and in tropical climates.
In fact, the only stage in the production process when great care is called form in terms of the final product, if the product is to be shipped far or kept for longer than a few hours, is at the time of drying. When the spirulina has been thoroughly dried, it can be consumed immediately.
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