Optimizing the Natural Functionality of Seaweed for Clean-Label Food and Nutrition Innovation
Optimizing the Natural Functionality of Seaweed for Clean-Label Food and Nutrition Innovation
Kate Sullivan, Founder, Uncracked, USA
Speaker
Speaker
Seagriculture EU
17 - 19 June 2025
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
About the speaker:
Kate Sullivan is the founder of Uncracked, a San Francisco–based food tech company developing seaweed-based ingredients for clean-label food innovation. She studied Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics at the University of California, Berkeley, where she first explored the versatility of seaweed while developing alternative seafood products in the Alt Meat Lab. Although awarded a scholarship to pursue her Registered Dietitian certification, Kate chose to continue her seaweed research and launch Uncracked. With a background that spans food service, sales, marketing, quality assurance, and product development, she brings almost a decade of hands-on industry experience. Kate has spoken at Future Food Tech, the Fancy Food Show, and TechCrunch’s Female Founder Showcase.
Company info:
Uncracked is a food technology company developing clean-label, seaweed-based food products and ingredients. The company’s mission is to replace synthetic additives and optimize nutritional value with sustainable, functional solutions, derived from macroalgae.
Presentation:
This presentation will explore how seaweed’s natural functionality can be harnessed to develop clean-label, high-performance food ingredients. As the industry shifts away from synthetic additives, seaweed offers a sustainable alternative rich in functional polysaccharides like alginate and carrageenan—ideal for gelling, binding, and emulsifying. Highlighting companies like Uncracked, the talk will showcase how innovators are leveraging seaweed’s inherent properties to create ingredients and biomaterials that retain the integrity of the source, avoiding harsh extraction processes. These minimally processed solutions are addressing formulation challenges in both plant-based and conventional categories, enabling food manufacturers to meet consumer demand for sustainability and clean labels without compromising functionality. Attendees will gain insights into emerging market trends, new processing techniques, nutritional benefits, novel applications and seaweed’s growing role in the future of food.
Interview
1. What inspired you to shift from studying dietetics to launching a seaweed-focused food tech company?
Great question! While working in an alternative protein development lab at UC Berkeley, I realized how often products sacrifice nutritional quality for sustainability or sensory experience. Much of the food on the market is packed with processed, synthetic ingredients, and I saw a real gap for truly clean nutrition based on whole foods.
Initially, through studying dietetics, I hoped to work for a major food company, helping to create more nutritious products. However, I quickly realized that nutritional quality is often a low priority — even at companies whose mission is supposedly centered around health.
While in the lab, my peers and I worked extensively with different species of algae for flavor, texture, and functionality. We realized that the algae itself had immense value as a whole-food ingredient. After graduation, I made the decision to withdraw from my graduate program and continue developing the project I had started as an undergraduate. I knew that launching innovative, algae-based products would have a greater impact than working within the constraints of a big food company.
2. Seaweed is known for its versatility — how is Uncracked approaching ingredient development differently than traditional extraction methods?
Traditional extraction methods often focus on isolating one compound — like a thickener or stabilizer — while stripping away many of the valuable nutrients that make the raw material so special in the first place. At Uncracked, we take a different approach. Our goal is to retain as much of seaweed’s natural nutrition and functionality as possible. Instead of harsh chemical processing, we use gentler techniques that preserve the prebiotic fibers, minerals, and other beneficial compounds alongside the functional properties. By combining various species of macro and microalgae we maximize functionality and compliment nutritional profiles.
3. What do you see as the biggest opportunity for seaweed in the clean-label movement over the next five years?
Contrary to the original inspiration for Uncracked — which focused heavily on replacing synthetic ingredients — I believe the biggest opportunity for seaweed lies in what algae-based ingredients can add rather than just replace. I'm most excited about seaweed’s potential as a natural, real-food source of fortification and supplementation. Seaweed offers an incredible range of minerals, prebiotic fibers, and bioactive compounds that can enhance the nutritional profile of everyday products in a highly bioavailable form.
Different seaweed species have distinct nutritional profiles, and when combined, they can create nutritionally complete sources of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals. As consumers increasingly seek supplements and functional foods derived from real, whole sources — not synthetic isolates — seaweed presents one of the lowest-input, highest-value solutions for delivering true, bioavailable nutrition.