South Africa
Market Intelligence on Processed Seaweed during FIE 2025
The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF) with support from SIPPO Indonesia held a market intelligence on processed seaweed with leading European stakeholders during the Food Ingredients Europe (FIE) 2025 exhibition. Around fifteen major players in the food-ingredients sector, including product directors, buyers, R&D specialists, and procurement teams, were interviewed during the exhibition.
Currently, processed seaweed, specifically carrageenan and agar-agar from Indonesia, are mainly exported to China instead of exported directly to the European buyers. Therefore, to increase the export value of carrageenan and agar-agar from Indonesia directly to European buyers, a market intelligence activity is needed to further understand the market trend and market requirements.
The interview results confirmed that demand for carrageenan and agar-agar in Europe remains strong and stable. These seaweed-based ingredients are widely used in bakery, processed meats, dairy, desserts, and other food formulations. European buyers see seaweed as a reliable, sustainable, and plant-based solution that fits perfectly with current market trends.
Buyers expressed clear interest in working with Indonesian suppliers, but they highlighted two key conditions: consistent supply with predictable delivery schedules and uniform quality that meets EU technical standards. Competitive pricing also remains essential, given strong competition from Chinese suppliers and alternative hydrocolloids.
MMAF were able to identify that the innovation in seaweed applications is growing fast in Europe, which creates new opportunities. However, Indonesia still needs to keep up the pace with the technological innovations, therefore blending companies for processed seaweed could become one of the potential targeted buyers for the Indonesian exporters. Moreover, it is found that documentation and compliance requirements are increasingly treated as market entry tickets, therefore it is suggested for the exporters to be able to provide a standard “EU buyer pack” ready at first contact with buyers (GFSI-type certifications where relevant, traceability, allergen/contaminant statements, and CSR/CO₂ elements when requested).
“This market intelligence program helps us in building direct communication with European buyers. While identifying the market trends, we can identify the potential buyers in preparation of buyer mission for processed seaweed next year in 2026,” said Adhi Setya Wiyata, staff of Directorate Marketing of MMAF.
In overall, this activity has laid the foundation for future promotional activities for MMAF in 2026. In order to strengthen the strategy, it is important for MMAF to curate a credible shortlist of exporters to be presented to EU buyers, design the next buyer mission comprehensively ahead of time, strengthen the capacity to engage with buyers to maintain the visibility, and use selected EU innovators as learning partners as it will help Indonesian processors stay competitive in the market.
