CeBER and Biodelta Neutraceuticals reinitiate Spirulina production in SA

Dr Melinda Griffiths at the BioDelta farm where Spirulina is grown and harvested.Photographs taken by Candice Mazzolini

Dr Melinda Griiffiths and a team of researchers from CeBER UCT, together with Biodelta neutraceuticals (www.biodelta.net), are in the process of establishing a new company that will re-initiate Spirulina production in South Africa. Spirulina is a blue-green algae well known for its health benefits. There are currently no local producers and all Spirulina in South Africa is imported.

Biodelta owns a state-of the art Spirulina production facility on a farm near Franschoek in the Western Cape. UCT researchers are working on process improvements that will optimize productivity and enhance the quality of the product, as well as technology developments that will reduce costs. While the first commercial product will be Spirulina powder and tablets, offering a quick route to market, CeBER are also developing methods of extracting other valuable products (e.g. pigments, bioactive compounds and proteins) from Spirulina.

The successful development of this project, supported by the unique combination of CeBER’s experience in algal cultivation and research together with Biodelta’s world-class facilities and expertise in packaging, sales and marketing, will support the revitalization of the algal biotechnology industry in South Africa.