London - A weed that chokes Britain’s lakes and ponds could help to solve the world’s food crisis, scientists say.
Duckweed - the green dots that cover slow-moving water - may not look appetising but it is high in protein.
Experts at a food technology conference in Chicago have revealed a method of drying duckweed and grinding it into a high-protein powder. The superfood, which is green, is known as Lentein and contains 68 percent protein as well as fibre.
It could eventually replace food products such as whey powder - made from milk and soya - as a healthy, vegan alternative.
Food company Parabel is now working on a white version of Lentein. With the world needing an estimated 70 percent more food in the next 30 years to support its growing population, the makers say their plant could help meet demand.
The firm said the plant - eaten in some parts of south-east Asia - is harvested from open-air water tanks that do not need prime farming land. It doubles in size every 16 to 32 hours and can be harvested daily.
As most of the water is recycled and the plants help prevent evaporation, it is said to use less water than comparable crops. Cecilia Wittbjers, of Parabel, said: “We don’t know why it’s not been used before.”
But Professor Duncan Cameron, of the University of Sheffield, said the amount of water the plant needed and its requirements for nutrients may be of concern.
Daily Mail