Our trip to China in July 2024, continued with our quest to source the highest-caliber organic spirulina and chlorella. China is a country renowned for its long-standing expertise in cultivating these nutrient-rich superfoods. With their rich history and incredible environmental and health benefits, spirulina and chlorella have become key players in the global health and wellness market.
Spirulina and Chlorella: Superfoods with Ancient Roots
Spirulina, a type of cyanobacterium often referred to as blue-green algae; and chlorella, a green microalga rich in chlorophyll, have been celebrated for centuries for their nutritional properties. Packed with protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, these superfoods are nutritional powerhouses.
China’s relationship with these two is particularly deep-rooted. For centuries, the country has harvested them from natural alkaline lakes. With the rising global demand for plant-based superfoods, China is leveraging its historical expertise to shine as a leading producer.
Global Challenges in Spirulina and Chlorella Production
Despite the availability of natural sources worldwide, cultivating spirulina and chlorella at scale presents unique challenges: African and Indian producers often struggle with volumes, schedules and consistency, especially when it comes to organic growing. Mexico also has a long history, but often at a high cost and their production is geared more towards the US. Some „exotic“ sources like Hawai or France also turn out excellent algaes, but at premium prices and limited scalability.
China stood out for its combination of historical knowledge, large-scale production capabilities, and competitive pricing. However, not all spirulina in China is created equal, as we discovered during our visits to different regions.
The Challenges of Inner Mongolia
In the 1990s and early 2000s, China’s central government recognised the potential of spirulina and chlorella as a significant economic driver. Inner Mongolia, an underdeveloped region near the Mongolian border, was chosen as a hub for spirulina production due to its natural alkaline lakes and open spaces.
Despite significant investment, several factors hindered the success of spirulina cultivation in this region:
- Extreme climate: Spirulina and chlorella thrive in consistent temperatures between 25–30°C, yet Inner Mongolia experiences scorching summers of up to 40°C and freezing winters that halt production.
- Environmental factors: The region’s flat, windy terrain exposes spirulina and chlorella basins to dust, livestock contamination, and harsh weather, necessitating costly protective greenhouses.
- Seasonal limitations: Production is limited to the summer months, leading to the cold storage of spirulina and chlorella for months before shipment. This delays freshness and compromises quality.
We visited these farms and found that while they operate at scale, the facilities lacked the quality controls, entrepreneurial drive, and passion we expect from our partners.
Hainan Island: A Tropical Paradise for Spirulina and Chlorella
From Inner Mongolia, we traveled to the opposite end of the country—to Hainan Island, a tropical gem in southern China. Known for its pristine beaches, luxury resorts, and clean environment, Hainan is also home to one of the most advanced spirulina and chlorella production facilities we’ve encountered.
and is a tropical island paradise.
Why Hainan Is ideal for spirulina and chlorella:
- Stable Climate: Temperatures consistently range between 25–30°C, with 300 sunny days annually.
- Clean Environment: The island’s lack of heavy industry and agriculture ensures pristine air and water.
- Optimal Sunlight: Direct sunlight is best for spirulina and is critical for chlorella, as chlorophyll synthesis relies on consistent exposure to light. As a result our spirulina has a slight blueish undertone stemming from the phycocyanin it holds and our chlorella is a rich, dark and juicy green due to the high levels of chlorophyll; both are vibrant, nutrient rich and unmatched in nutritional value.
The Production Process: From Algae to Superfood
Preparation and Cultivation
The process begins in preparation basins, where naturally purified water is pumped in and mixed with fresh spirulina cultures from a central lab. Organic fertilisers and Co2 are added to create an ideal growing environment. Both bacterial count as well as water quality is regularly checked and analysed during the growing process.
The mixture is then transferred to large growth basins, where rotating water mills maintain oxygen levels and prevent stagnation. Over 2–3 weeks, the spirulina and chlorella saturates the water, after which 50% of the harvest is removed while the cycle continues.
Harvesting and Quick Drying
This is a time-sensitive process and has a 30 minute crucial time limit from the moment it is harvested. If this takes just a bit longer, the result is a strange smelling powder, somehow fishy. It then goes through multiple stages of washing, rinsing, cleaning and drying; next into the final spray dryer that sprays the wet algae with pressure and heat (120 -180 degrees) resulting in a dry powder that has a long shelf life. This method ensures the spirulina and chlorella retains its nutritional properties, freshness, and vibrant green-blue colour and has a pleasant, almost nutty aroma.
Secondary Processing for Consistency
Unlike most producers, our Hainan partner doesn’t stop at initial drying. Because at this stage you still have a product that is very heterogeneous with different consistencies: partially fine, partially coarse, with colour differences. And because of the time restraint, the initial process must be done right next to the basins so there is no room for additional facilities. Our producer ships the spirulina and chlorella powder as ‘raw materials stage 1’ across to the mainland in China where they have a second processing facility – highly secure, highly automated and with the utmost hygienic standards. Here the powder undergoes additional processing:
- Quality checks to meet the highest standards.
- Sieving and grinding for uniform texture.
- Post-drying to ensure consistency and quality.
Innovative Tablet form
One of the most challenging aspects of spirulina and chlorella production is creating tablets that stick, without adding some kind of additive / sticking agent to the mix like tapioca or maltodextrin. In the US market they don’t mind these additives, but in Europe, this is unacceptable. We want 100% powder. So our producer got innovative and developed a special pressing technique that reaches the solidity and form of tablet we want. It sustains the long transport, the selling, the distribution, reaching the final customer as an intact tablet. It doesn’t break and it doesn’t have any additives in it.
This innovation sets our partner apart in the global spirulina and chlorella market.
The Environmental Advantage
One of the standout features of Hainan’s production is its commitment to environmental sustainability with exclusive CO2 utilisation. Instead of adding cheap alkaline to the water, the facility sources CO2 from breweries and wineries (a byproduct of fermentation). This CO2 is injected into the water, where spirulina and chlorella convert it into oxygen—a process that benefits both the environment and the atmosphere.
This eco-friendly approach not only reduces carbon emissions but also highlights the incredible ability of spirulina and chlorella to produce clean, breathable air.
Why our Hainan Producer’s Spirulina and Chlorella Are Unmatched
- The open-air basins in Hainan provide continuous direct sunlight, leading to vibrant, nutrient-rich algae
- Our chlorella is a much more intense, dark, rich green due to the juicy levels of chlorophyll – it is as premium as it can get
- Our spirulina is one of the finest powders with a consistent deep and slightly blueish tone, witnessing saturation with high levels of phycocyanin
- The island’s lack of heavy industry and agriculture ensures pristine air and water and we can ensure no external contamination
- The powder is sent for stage 2 processing involving multiple stages of sieving, grinding, and homogenising, resulting in a refined, pure, premium product. Other producers don’t include this stage
- The innovative tablet formation does not include any sticking agents and is 100% pure spirulina and chlorella
- Our spirulina and chlorella happily munches exclusively on pure CO2, not cheap alkaline
- Even many months after production, our spirulina and chlorella powders preserves their fresh and nutty moderate smell.
