The aquatic ecosystem could give our food chain a helping hand. The demand for food is rising and more sustainable production systems are needed. That's why Europe is opening up to the algae sector. Humans have been eating macroalgae for a long time, but attention is now turning to their smaller cousins, microalgae, for their nutritional potential. In Pataias, Portugal, the company Allmicroalgae is developing algae-based applications for foods like cookies, bread, snacks and spreads. Food engineer, Anabela Raymundo, works for the University of Lisbon and helps develop these microalgae products. She tells us that "it is extremely important to find alternative food sources, which are sustainable and also of nutritional benefit to people. Microalgae are extremely important ingredients because they are rich in both protein and bioactive compounds and therefore they are an extremely important source of nutrition and can be used in lots of foods".