There are new scientific findings on the subject of C. pyrenoidosa. The term “pyrenoidosa” has been prevailing for a very long time – however, it was discovered that the assigned strains were misidentified. Most of the strains formerly grouped under C. pyrenoidosa have now been renamed Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella sorokiniana or Chlorella fusca, with the latter being moved to the genus Scenedesmus (source: Huss et al., 1999 ; Ullmann, 2006 ; Roshon, pers. comm.).

However, the “reclassifications” are not yet fully completed, why the term still persists. Of course, the term is also demanded on the market by customers because they have been used to it for decades. Of the 3 strains, Chlorella vulgaris has gained the most acceptance worldwide, which is why we only produce Chlorella vulgaris.

All our algae products can be ordered from various countries via our online shop. Whether we ship to you country, you can find out here. If your country is not supported by our webshop, please send us your request directly to mailto:sales@jongerius-ecoduna.at

Microalgae can be cultivated in various systems. Systems with open ponds and closed systems, mostly photobioreactors made of glass or plastic, have established themselves worldwide. Jongerius ecoduna has opted for a closed system and developed its own process with a focus on sustainability and cleanliness. Both systems offer advantages and disadvantages:

At Jongerius ecoduna we cultivate algae in our patented glass tube system. This allows us to provide them with controlled growth conditions and, together with internal and external analysis of ALL batches, it enables the highest possible product safety.

Algae have the habit of absorbing external influences, including negative influences such as heavy metals or other pollutants. Therefore, they can also be used, for example, for water purification or detoxification of our body. However, if algae grow up in an unclean environment, they have already absorbed pollutants from their environment during their growth, which subsequently enter our body through consumption.

In our closed system we can protect the algae from external influences such as heavy metals, iodine, toxins and pesticides in the best possible way. Our algae are also produced free of additives and without genetic engineering. Each batch is checked by an external laboratory. With Jongerius ecoduna you can be sure that our algae are high quality and pure.

Only Austrian drinking water, sunlight, biogenic CO₂ and selected pure food-grade nutrient salts are used for the production of our algae.

Water: We use only Austrian drinking water, which we additionally treat by reverse osmosis (RO). This gives us a 100% barrier against microorganisms and heavy metals in the water. In addition, most of the water is recovered, recycled and reprocessed after harvesting.

Air: The air is treated using oil separators, sterile filtration, activated carbon filters and dryers. We thus have air of the quality that it may be directly introduced into food products. Due to the activated carbon filters, there is also a 100% barrier against heavy metals and other pollutants.

CO2: We source biogenic CO₂, which is a byproduct of a bioethanol plant in Austria. Thus, we use CO₂ from a sustainable source and avoid the use of a fossil CO₂ source.

Sun: The sun serves as the only source of light and energy in the growth of our algae.

Nutrient salts:  Microalgae, like any other plant, need nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and some trace elements as nutrients, in addition to CO₂, so that they are optimally supplied. For this purpose, we use only selected, pure nutrient salts.

Algae: We have an in-house algae strain collection from which we select the most suitable production strains. These are propagated in several steps from a few milliliters of algae culture up to 1000 l until they are inoculated into our plant, where they continue to multiply until the optimal density of cells for harvesting is reached. Only one part of the algae is harvested at a time, while the other part continues to multiply. In this way, we ensure continuous growth.

We dry both types of algae with a gentle spray-drying process, where the powder itself is never heated above 40 degrees and the drying process takes only a few seconds. Thus, our algae have raw food quality.

On the one hand, we check our algae in our in-house laboratory, on the other hand, we work with independent external laboratories to analyze the microbiology and vitamin values of all batches. Thus, we offer not only the purest quality of our algae, but also absolute product safety.

The production of microalgae is becoming increasingly interesting, especially for securing the future food supply. The population is increasing, but at the same time fertile soil is becoming increasingly scarce. This increases the production pressure on food. Microalgae can be part of the solution to this problem, providing up to 10x more output/hectare than, conventional crops while not requiring fertile land. Plants like ours could be located almost anywhere in the world and ensure continuous production of microalgae.

Our production also uses only Austrian drinking water, selected pure nutrient salts, sunlight and biogenic CO2. Water and nutrients are recycled and reused up to 80%. This makes our production particularly resource-friendly. In addition, we have a pump-free system and do NOT use artificial lighting, which is why our plant consumes much less energy compared to others. We also use 100% of the waste heat from our compressors, limiting energy loss to a minimum throughout the production process. Unlike comparable products from Asia or America, our algae are produced directly in Lower Austria and thus have no long transport routes behind them.

Chlorella naturally contains omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid), folic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin A (beta-carotene), iron and spermidine. In addition, Chlorella also has a high chlorophyll content, a pigment that not only provides the green color of Chlorella, but is also considered detoxifying and antioxidant. Chlorella is especially valued for its ability to bind external influences to itself and is often taken for detox reasons.

As a natural product with natural fluctuations, algae are often considered an unreliable source of nutrients. We address this challenge by analyzing each batch with external laboratories, providing our customers with assurance about the nutrient content and purity of our products.

Not every algae is the same and not all vitamin B12 is the same. There are bioavailable and non-bioavailable forms of vitamin B12 or cobalamins for our body. Spirulina does contain vitamin B12, but not significant amounts of the bioavailable form. Our Chlorella, however, contains relevant amounts of the bioavailable forms of vitamin B12. These are produced, among other things, by an accompanying commensal bacterial flora. Only the content may vary from product to product and from batch to batch under certain circumstances, because the accompanying flora is not always developed in the same way. Therefore, we analyze the content of bioavailable vitamin B12 in each of our batches (with the HPLC method) to be able to give our customers certainty. Our chlorella products are therefore a reliable source of vitamin B12.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the body because it cannot produce them itself. They include the fatty acids ALA, EPA and DHA. In our Chlorella, the fatty acid ALA, is contained.

In most cases, microalgae are cultivated in open basins or natural waters. In this case, the input of environmental influences cannot be controlled in the same way as in closed systems. This can lead to contamination. Since microalgae tend to absorb external influences, they may be contaminated with heavy metals, pesticides or other pollutants without this being detected. Most algae producers do not test all batches individually for contamination, but take one sample per season, which is the average of all batches produced during the season. As a result, variations in individual batches may not be detected. Therefore, we not only prevent external influences through our closed system, but also check the quality of ALL batches of our algae.

Our two strains of algae do not naturally contain iodine. However, since high concentrations of iodine are often found in natural waters, many algae are contaminated with iodine. Since we produce in a closed system, i.e. without external influences, we can exclude iodine contamination.

Our pure Spirulina and Chlorella algae are available either as powder or pressed to tablets (pressed powder in tablet form, free of additives such as binders or fillers). Our tablets are perfect for easy daily supplementation, as they are convenient to take, for example: with a glass of water. Our powder is suitable for daily use, e.g.: as a fixed ingredient in your smoothies, porridge or similar – as well as for experimental cooking and baking for salty as well as sweet dishes. We also offer a small assortment of foods with algae, such as our spirulina noodles or our algae honey (available in 3 varieties).

Both types of algae can be used as an ingredient or seasoning and go well with both sweet and salty dishes. It is advisable to mix the algae powder with some liquid beforehand to avoid lumps – similar to starch or pudding powder. In order to preserve the vitamins contained, it is best to process the algae cold or to add them at the end of cooking. Otherwise, short heating at high temperature is recommended rather than low temperatures with long cooking or baking times.

The intensity of the algae flavor is mainly controlled with the dosage. As a basic rule: about 1% algae per total mass for dishes where the algae flavor should not be in the foreground. Depending on the taste as well as the consistency of the dish, the proportion of algae can be increased accordingly. If you want to integrate more algae, but you want the algae taste to remain in the background, you can neutralize it with foods that have an intense taste of their own, which harmonize well with algae. For spirulina, these include horseradish, lime, dark chocolate, honey, dill, guava, strawberry or raspberry. For Chlorella, spinach, tomato, honey, pistachio, banana or orange are well suitable.

Just like the taste, the color intensity will vary depending on the dosage. If green foods are an inhibition, it is recommended to combine the algae with foods that are well known but also naturally green (parsley, broccoli, peas, limes, spinach, etc.).

Inspiration for recipes with our algae you can find on our website here, as well as on our social media instagram and facebook.