I tried that once at home and failed. Easy to get contamination into your system and it's not so easy for the laymen to distinguish the Spirulina from other potentially less healthy micro-algae.
this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2023
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That's a good point! I have some training in identifying green algae microscopically (and some large Eastern US algae on a macroscopic scale) and I can definitely see how this would become an issue. Thanks for bringing this up!
- there was some scaremongering many years back about viral contamination – currently Wikipedia lists warnings about mycrocystin and heavy metal contamination
- in 2016, Soylent had to do a recall because users reported gastrointestinal issues with the algal flour
- which is all to say
- quality control (of water and feeding) while growing is critical (just like any other food source)
- and some people’s guts just cannot handle algal proteins (just be cautious of any claims of being a universal food source)
Thanks for the info! I'm definitely cautious of any claims of anything being a universal food source. There are certainly a lot of things my gut can't tolerate, and I think a diversity of options is the best way to go when providing for people. I think there needs to be more focus on the quality of feed, water, and soil in general in food production.
Thanks for the informative comment!