With the growing world population, there is a need for new sources of sustainable protein, carbohydrates, and lipid supplementation to overcome the significant challenges of global food security. In this context, the versatile nature of algae could offer a sustainable alternative to food production and the traditional food supply chain. In recent years, consumers have demonstrated a growing interest in functional foods combined with an increasing demand for algae-based food products. However, several challenges must be addressed, including high production costs, low consumer acceptance, safety concerns, and regulatory barriers. Furthermore, commercialization strategies and market integration are critical to enable widespread adoption. Joint effort from higher authorities is essential in curbing these challenges to foster unlocking the potential for the success of the exploration of algae development in food industries. This review comprehensively addresses the current status, technological advancements, challenges, regulatory considerations, and commercialization prospects of algae in food applications. This review laid emphasis on the fact that algae could pave the way in developing new crops that would augment the conventional agriculture system, making it more competent in meeting the world's food supply and demand.
The ever-increasing quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can be attributed to the rapid increase in the world population as well as the expansion of globalization. Hence, achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 stands as a challenging task to accomplish. Global industrialization had necessitated the need to enhance the current production systems to reduce greenhouse gases emission, whilst promoting the capture of carbon dioxide from atmosphere. Hydrogen is often touted as the fuel of future via substituting fossil-based fuels. In this regard, renewable hydrogen happens to be a niche sector of novel technologies in achieving carbon neutrality. Microalgae-based biohydrogen technologies could be a sustainable and economical approach to produce hydrogen from a renewable source, while simultaneously promoting the absorption of carbon dioxide. This review highlights the current perspectives of biohydrogen production as an alternate source of energy. In addition, future challenges associated with biohydrogen production at large-scale application, storage and transportation are included. Key technologies in producing biohydrogen are finally described in building a carbon-neutral future.