ALGAE 101

Why use Algae to make cooking oil in the first place?

If you want the purest product, go straight to the source. Algae is the mother of all plants and one of nature’s original oil producers. It can deliver an extremely pure, Omega-9-rich cooking oil using only a fraction of the time, energy, and natural resources— all without the need for pesticides, chemical solvents, or blending of inferior oils. Instead of waiting entire seasons to harvest, algae can produce this quality oil in just a matter of days.

What kind of Algae do we use?

There are two groups of algae: macroalgae, such as kelp or seaweed, and microalgae. Microalgae are the mother of all plants and one of Nature’s originators of oil. These teeny-tiny microscopic single-cell organisms can swell up to 80% of their weight in oil. The flavor of the oil is neutral, light, and just a lil’ buttery.

How is the algae continually sourced?

Microalgae are not sourced by continually going out into nature and collecting it. Instead, the process is similar to brewing beer or fermenting wine, which is far more efficient, clean, and resilient to climate change. We harness microalgae’s natural oil-producing ability to rapidly produce large amounts of oil through fermentation in large stainless steel tanks. It's kind of like your sourdough yeast starter; once you have it, you can easily keep using it.

How do you get the oil out of the Algae?

This is what the industry calls an ‘expeller-pressed’ process. You’ve likely seen these words on some expensive olive oils because it’s a very clean, simple process. Essentially, we squeeze the algae, just as you would squeeze an olive, to extract all the oil from it. At the end of this process, there is actually no algae left in the oil; it's just an extremely pure, high-oleic cooking oil.

Are there Omega-3's in this oil?

No, there are no Omega-3 fatty acids found in this oil. Omega-3s are not stable under high heat and are prone to oxidation, making them less ideal for cooking oils. While some strains of algae do produce high concentrations of these fats, the specific strain of algae we use for the cooking oil does not produce any Omega-3. If you're looking for Omega-3, we recommend supplement capsules derived from different strains of algae.