Seaweed Benefits for the Environment
Organic production of seaweed does not exhaust our already scarce natural resources and does not pollute the environment! On the contrary, consumption of seaweed is beneficial for all parties concerned. During their lifecycle, seaweed absorbs carbon dioxide and nitrogen from the water and, through photosynthesis, releases large amounts of oxygen.
Seaweed is part of the natural ecosystem, and organic production of seaweed has, contrary to the traditional production of food, an additional merit both for man and for nature! We don’t need fields to grow the seaweed, don’t waste water to irrigate them, and don’t use any fertilizers.
When using Numami seaweed, you become a small part of a large system that helps make our oceans cleaner and produces oxygen!
Why Cultivated Seaweed
Only when cultivating the seaweed, we can gather young plants of the same age. Seaweed is gathered when they are approximately 4 months old because young seaweed is the tastiest and has the most nutrients while at the same time being soft and thin. The older the seaweed gets, the woodier and chewier they become. Also, with time, seaweed accumulates heavy metals which are not good for humans, but these metals are at minimum in the young plants (tested!).
Each batch is thoroughly controlled using biochemical analysis which guarantees that our seaweed is always clean of any poisons and contains exactly those vitamins and minerals that are listed on the packaging. This is not possible in the case of seaweed collected from nature because all plants are of different age and come from different places!
| CULTIVATED (Numami) | WILD HARVEST |
| 100% young seaweed | Different age |
| Minimum amount of heavy metals | Concentration of heavy metals in the older seaweed is above the normal limit |
| We bring into nature more seaweed which cleans the ocean and produces oxygen | Seaweed is removed from wild habitats thus lessening the cleaning of the ocean and production of oxygen (marine biota and the marine animals’ food sources are decreased) |
| During cultivation, the water conditions are constantly monitored for the best quality of seaweed | In the case of seaweed collected in different places, it is impossible to monitor the environmental conditions and guarantee quality |
| Young seaweed has soft texture and intense flavor | Rigid structure and woody flavor |
| No need to process prior to eating | Only edible when ground into powder or previously soaked |
Organic certified
All Numami products are grown in a very clean, controlled environment and are both European (EU Agriculture) and the US (USDA Organic) certified.
What the USDA Organic and EU Agriculture labels mean?
Organic certification requires that farmers and handlers document their processes and get inspected every year.
Organic production raises the cost price of the product, but you get very high-quality and clean food.
Organic on-site inspections account for every component of the operation. Tracing organic products from start to finish is part of the USDA organic and also EU Agriculture promise.
Freeze Drying
Freeze drying is done at -50C when the water is removed from the seaweed using vacuum. As a result, the dried seaweed contains less than 2% of moisture which results in high shelf life.
Freeze drying is the only process that allows preserving all the nutrients contained in the product when it is being dried.
Advantages of freeze-dried seaweed:
- The texture is softer, melting in the mouth;
- Ready for consumption at once, no need to soak;
- Retain all the vitamins and minerals;
- The taste of Umami is more intensive and fresher;
- Fully retain seaweed qualities for a longer time;
- Freeze-dried seaweed contains less than 2% of moisture, which means that you’re buying seaweed, not water.
Eco-Friendly Packaging
We care about the environment and hope that our grandchildren will be able to breathe clean air and play on the green grass. When packaging our goods, we do not use plastic or polyethylene film that contaminate the environment and, when decomposing, returns to our grandchildren’s dinner table in the form of micro-/nanoplastics.
That is exactly why all our seaweed comes in either glass jars or biodegradable bags.
The bags will decompose in three months, they have been tested at the acknowledged laboratories in Germany.
If we think of our health and want to improve it by eating the seaweed, we might as well think of the wellbeing of our home planet. Those goods that are good for us but harm the environment are a half-measure. After all, we don’t wish ill upon our friends and would not poison them with plastic just so that we might feel good. Poisoning our home with plastic is even more selfish with regard to the future generations.