Walk down the street in Israel and it would appear that everyone is eating or playing with their mobile phone, or both. Israel is the champ for a quick dunk of pita in humous. However, now it appears that there is a rival on the scene. Believe it or not, I am talking about seaweed.

Health blogs, natural food shops, fitness freaks – around the world they are all looking for the next wonder food. Goji beans, almond nuts, coconut oil, and broccoli are just some of the items frequently mentioned. Seaweed has often been considered, but few have succeeded in commercialising the slimy substance. Few that is until Ofer Sela took up the challenge.

Ofer’s company, Seakura SST, is located near Michmoret, about half way along the coast between Tel Aviv and Haifa. They cultivate the seaweed inland in a sterile environment. The result in their words is “not only is super seaweed bursting with nutrients that are essential for growth, it’s also a simple way to sneak some extra vitamins and minerals into favourite foods”.

 The food is suitable for just about all of us: young and old, vegans, athletes. This looks to be the start of something big. The global sales market is currently estimated at close to US$10 billion, rising by about 10% annually.

Seakura is already available in several European countries. It has just locked a deal with Whole Foods in the UK. Assuming that this trial is successful, the retailer will find space for the product in their 432 outlets in America.