A Comprehensive Overview on Microalgal-Fortified/Based Food and Beverages.

Microalgae produce a variety of compounds that can be used foraquaculture, nutraceutical purposes, and third-generation biofuelsectors. Moreover, they have been considered for the production offortified food and beverages claiming to be healthier than otherfoods. Using microalgal oil or incorporating microalgae biomass ortheir metabolites in food and beverages provides health benefitsdue to properties such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immuneenhancing,and to their role against various diseases such as cardiovascularmetabolic, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. This reviewfocuses on the worldwide research carried out about the incorporationof microalgae – either biomass or their high-value compounds –in food and beverages, and on the microalgal fortified/based foodand beverages currently present worldwide on the market. Themetabolites bioavailability aspect and the current legislationare considered. There is an ever-growing interest in this field butthe volume of production is still limited. Various challenges, one ofwhich is the cost of producing biomass, need to be overcome fora profitable market. More effort, involving different expertise, isneeded to improve the microalgal production system, from cultivationto harvesting and biorefinery, to produce improved novelproducts.