Australia’s Food and Beverage Accelerator (FaBA) has invested in SeaStock to accelerate the commercialisation of clean-label ingredient innovation.
SeaStock is a marine science company specialising in onshore algae cultivation and compound extraction.
The project, titled “Extraction and characterisation of techno-functional ingredients from Australian seaweed,” represents a step in SeaStock’s commercialisation of RUBY SEA, a high-purity, naturally derived red pigment (R-Phycoerythrin or R-PE) extracted from sustainably cultivated Asparagopsis algae.
FaBA is providing $740,000 in matched co-investment to support SeaStock’s development and certification of safe, high-purity ingredients that meet Australian and international food and beverage standards.
FaBA director Dr Chris Downs said the project demonstrated the impact of knowledge-led innovation.
“We’re proud to invest in SeaStock’s pioneering work in algae-based innovation,” said Downs.
“Their approach to developing clean-label, functional ingredients aligns strongly with FaBA’s mission to accelerate the growth of Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing sector through science-led commercialisation.
“By replacing synthetic additives with natural compounds, SeaStock has the potential to help shape a more sustainable and health-conscious future for consumers.”
The FaBA-backed project will enable SeaStock to progress key research and development stages, including:
- Safe and scalable extraction of food-grade R-PE pigment (RUBY SEA).
- Identification and evaluation of commercially viable co-products.
- Generation of data to support Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and international regulatory approval.
- Transition from bench-scale to pilot-scale production to facilitate material transfer agreements and early customer validation.
“This support from FaBA will accelerate our ability to deliver high-purity, naturally derived functional ingredients for the food and beverage sector,” said SeaStock co-founder and managing director Tom Puddy.
“It validates the scientific and commercial potential of our circular production model and IP-led strategy. On behalf of SeaStock, I’d like to thank FaBA for their support and belief in the impact potential of algae-based innovation.”
The project supports SeaStock’s broader goal of producing algae-based compounds that replace synthetic additives with sustainable, high-performance alternatives. The five-stage roadmap will culminate in a regulatory dossier to support a novel food application and help advance SeaStock’s product pipeline into global markets.
FaBA is a $178 million initiative of the federal government’s Trailblazer Universities Program, which brings together university researchers and industry experts to drive innovation in food and beverage ingredients.