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Seaweed farmers David Leith, left, and Stewart Hunt haul in a line of kelp for harvesting in April 2021, off the coast of Cumberland. Robert F. Bukaty/Associated Press More than half of Americans who are less adventurous in their eating and spending habits have yet to try seaweed, a new study from Maine aquaculture researchers shows.
The Maine Aquaculture Association surveyed over 2,000 people across the country to gauge the general temperature of how Americans feel about seaweed — one of Maine’s major aquaculture products. And 53% said they’d never tried it before. Researchers, nutrition scientists and aquaculture companies say the results reflect general trends in American preferences.
“It doesn’t sound good,” 36% answered. The results show a general hesitance to try new things, deterrence from what some consider exotic tastes, a lack of familiarity with the food and confusion about how to cook it. “The American palate can be pretty slow to adopt things,” said Christian Brayden, the Maine Aquaculture Association’s lead researcher on the study.
But those already steeped in the seaweed world see room to grow within those the results. “What this leads to is processors who are doing even more innovative work,” Brayden said. AMERICA’S SEAWEED INDUSTRY Maine is campaigning to become the leader in the country’s aquaculture industry — particularly in the seaweed sector.
The state’s aquaculture industry rakes in between $85 million to $110 million annually, according to data from the Maine International Trade Center. In 2025, researchers predict the value of Maine’s aquaculture exports will reach $800 million. A large part of that could be thanks to Maine seaweed.
Around 60% of America’s farmed edible seaweed comes from Maine, the center found. In 2022, Maine aquaculture farmers harvested over 1 million pounds of seaweed by some 40 growers — up from 45,000 pounds in 2017. And in 2023, the Maine Aquaculture Association predicted that the state’s seaweed sector would expand to 4.
1 million pounds by this year. But the seaweed sector faces its list of limitations, which the association explored in its study. NEW FOOD PHOBIAS There are a handful of reasons why the 53% of American consumers who said they have never tried seaweed veer away, the survey discovered.
Some are deterred by the texture, some the taste. A majority simply don’t like the idea of eating seaweed. And then there are those that “don’t know.
” They’ve never had seaweed, they don’t know how to cook it, how to eat it. Mary Ellen Camire, a professor of food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine, said those results are likely in part thanks to food neophobia — the fear of trying new foods. Camire conducted a similar study in 2017 and found similar results.
“Americans tend to rely on things they’re familiar with — the meat and potatoes crowd, the kids who only eat french fries and chicken nuggets,” she said. “There are people who just don’t want to deviate and to be more food adventurous.” Brayden, the lead researcher, said that he’s also linked back that fear to the current state of the American economy.
“A lot of people are having a really tough time just purchasing groceries, let alone taking the risk of trying something new that they may or may not like,” Brayden said. There are products, however, that might convert the unlikeliest of eaters. Seaweed snacks: Roasted seaweed sheets, puffed seaweed, both from Korea, at top.
Below, a cereal, nut and furikake snack mix that’s made and sold by Onggi in Portland. Ben McCanna/Portland Press Herald file A SPRINKLING OF SEAWEED The study found that consumers under 45 years old are a more adventurous bunch and more likely to explore seaweed products. There was also a “notable” chunk of 45- to 54-year-old respondents who are consuming it for the health benefits.
The 47% who have previously consumed seaweed products overwhelmingly did so for the health benefits. Second in line was the love of the flavor. Seaweed harvesters and processors say they will use the data as inspiration to change up their practices.
That could entail different forms of marketing and public outreach: meeting shoppers where they are with free samples at the grocery store and adding ready-to-eat seaweed dishes to store shelves. And there are some snacks where seaweed is snuck in as a flavor that even the most hesitant of eaters are interested in, like seaweed teriyaki sauce, potato chips dusted with seaweed, ready-made soup with seaweed and seaweed tortillas or wraps. “Developing products that are in line with what American consumers want to eat, and getting them excited about a new food brings opportunity,” said Annie Fagan, with the Maine Aquaculture Hub.
“It’ll be not just for Maine farmers, but for the communities that they live and work in, and for our coastal economy.” We believe it’s important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way.
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