Spirulina algae, known as the world 's "green superfood", has been successfully researched and cultivated by engineer Luong Thi Mai Huong (Thanh Hai commune, Phan Rang - Thap Cham city).
Her project "Building a model for cultivating Spirulina algae and processing products from Spirulina algae" won the third prize nationwide in the "Women's creative start-up and green transformation" contest organized by the Vietnam Women's Union in 2024.
Engineer Luong Thi Mai Huong's entrepreneurial journey originated from her passion for natural, nutrient-rich foods after graduating from Hanoi Agricultural Academy and working in Ninh Thuan.
After researching the market and directly using imported algae products from Japan, Ms. Huong clearly realized the outstanding nutritional value and health improvement. This motivated Ms. Huong to research and experiment with Spirulina algae cultivation.
“In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic made shopping difficult due to social distancing, I researched and bought Spirulina algae from a domestic research institute for experimental farming. Seeing that Spirulina algae grew well and was suitable for local climate conditions, I decided to develop the production of this nutritious algae,” the female engineer shared.
In the greenhouse farm of over 200 square meters, Ms. Huong has built 7 Spirulina algae ponds, each with a volume of about 8 cubic meters, the rest is reserved for research and processing areas.
Engineer Luong Thi Mai Huong emphasized: "Tap water must go through many strict treatment stages such as rough filtration, RO filtration, and Ozone to ensure sterility before being pumped into the lake, creating an optimal environment for algae to grow."
Under ideal conditions, spirulina can multiply by 10-15%, even 25% per day. Water and algae quality are carefully monitored and tested with modern equipment, and the lost minerals are promptly supplemented in a scientific ratio.
The process from breeding to harvesting Spirulina algae is about 30 days, the cultivation, care and harvesting of algae are strictly carried out. Fresh algae after harvest is washed with RO filtered water, packaged in a sterile room and frozen to keep all nutrients intact, no fishy smell, easy to use.
For dried algae, it is processed using the most advanced freeze-drying technology available today. Fresh algae immediately after harvest is put into the dryer, deeply frozen at -40 degrees, and the water vapor is separated at this temperature. Therefore, dried algae still retains its natural color and flavor along with 97% of nutrients.
In particular, the protein content is up to 70% and Phycocyanin, an antioxidant, cancer prevention agent, is up to 17%. All dried and fresh seaweed products do not contain additives or preservatives, ensuring purity.
With 7 ponds, engineer Luong Thi Mai Huong harvests about 70kg of fresh algae each month. The current selling price of fresh algae is about 1.7 million VND/kg, while 1kg of finished dried algae (equivalent to 10kg of fresh algae) costs 18 million VND/kg.
With the desire to develop unique products for her hometown, she established Tran Gia Spirulina Algae Production and Technology Transfer Limited Company.
The company has launched a variety of product lines such as pure fresh algae, freeze-dried algae (flakes, convenient packages, capsules) and Spirulina algae cereal. The products are certified as 3-star OCOP products at the provincial level in 2024, and are inspected and quality assured before being put on the market.
Engineer Luong Thi Mai Huong shared more about the value of this "superfood": "Algae has appeared on Earth for millions of years, is the first link in the food chain, so it is very complete and balanced in nutrition. Spirulina algae has the ability to absorb CO2, does not take up much cultivation area, saves resources, reduces dependence on animal protein, provides pure, convenient and safe precious nutrients for all subjects. Because of these advantages, Spirulina algae is increasingly trusted by consumers to take care of their family's health."
The model of cultivating and processing Spirulina algae is opening up economic development potential and receiving much attention from authorities.
Mr. Dang Van Tin, Head of Rural Development Department - Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ninh Thuan province, said that the successful application of the project on production and processing of spirulina is of great significance, helping the province's agricultural sector to have a new, unique and high-value commodity product, contributing to improving the competitiveness of spirulina products with other localities in the country. At the same time, the model creates more jobs, increases income, and improves the lives of local people.
Currently, to further develop this model, engineer Luong Thi Mai Huong said the company will continue to expand the production area. At the same time, the company is ready to transfer farming technology to households and individuals in the area who want to develop the economy from Spirulina algae.
In addition to traditional sales channels, the company is also actively utilizing e-commerce platforms and social networks to reach customers more widely, expanding the consumption market for Spirulina algae products./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/ninh-thuan-trien-vong-kinh-te-tu-nuoi-trong-sieu-thuc-pham-xanh-post1041832.vnp
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