Food safety during seaweed cultivation at offshore wind farms: An exploratory study in the North Sea

Multi-use in ocean space, and seas, entails the co-location of different industries or technologies and their corresponding activities that take place at the same time in a specific location. This concept focuses on finding solutions to tackle global challenges in food security. However, the effects that seaweed cultivation at offshore wind farms may have on food and feed safety are less readily addressed. This study examined whether currently available food and feed safety standards for seaweed can be applied to multi-use activities at sea. The focus was on the combined use of seaweed cultivation at an offshore wind farm in the North Sea. Literature regarding hazards in seaweed was screened, and standards were evaluated. Expert elicitation on seaweed cultivation was retrieved via in-depth interviews and a workshop. Results showed that although some food safety hazards may be more apparent for seaweed cultivation such as toxic metals (e.g., arsenic, cadmium) and iodine, others may become relevant when considering multi-use (e.g., allergens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, toxic metabolites). Key factors for food safety include the location of seaweed cultivation, handling and processing of seaweed, and seaweed testing. Public standards, the Food Safety System Certification 22000 standard, and the Marine Stewardship Council/Aquaculture Stewardship Council standard are recommended for the food and marine sectors to consider when determining standards to implement. This case study provides an example of how to address seaweed food and feed safety in a multi-use scenario in the North Sea. We recommend additional case studies for other multi-use at sea scenarios.