Thrive algae oil expands distribution after successful trial in Gelson's Market

Thrive culinary algae oil has proved a hit with shoppers at upmarket grocer Gelson's Market in southern California, and is now rolling out to "hundreds of stores on the west coast," says brand owner TerraVia.

Thrive  – the first culinary algae oil on the market and TerraVia’s first consumer food brand – has 75% less saturated fat than olive oil, unprecedented levels of monounsaturated fat, and zero trans fat, according to TerraVia (formerly known as Solazyme).

It also has a clean taste and an unusually high smoke point, making it suitable for every type of cooking, including sautéing, frying, baking, dressings and more, says TerraVia, which also sells the product at thrivealgae.com and on Amazon.

 “During the market test at Gelson’s [which operates 19 stores in southern California] .... Thrive has already achieved velocity and sales leadership with the top performing SKUs in the oil category and is now a permanent offering,” says TerraVia.

Chris Fromm, senior director of grocery purchasing at Gelson’s, added: "Within a few months, Thrive has become one of the top performing oil SKUs on our shelves, in the top 25th percentile of oil sales. We're confident that we'll see continued growth.”

Sources: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Spectrum Oil Kitchen Guide, Chosen Foods

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"Thrive Algae Oil is a hit! This product's test market performance reflects its appeal to consumers on many levels: great taste, a healthier profile and a more sustainable product.  It is a game changer in the market and provides retailers with an offering that meets consumer demand head on.”

Supermarket Guru'’ Phil Lempert

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TerraVia also announced plan to launch a specialty feed ingredient called AlgaPrime DHA (the long-chain omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid) with joint venture partner Bunge, primarily for the aquaculture market, which currently uses approximately $3 billion in omega-3 ingredients.

Under a supply agreement “with one of the world’s largest aquaculture feed suppliers,” AlgaPrime DHA is slated to begin incorporation into fish feed for salmonids this summer.

 “AlgaPrime DHA is our first major new product from the expanded joint venture with Bunge and could be a real game changer in keeping our oceans healthy by offering a non-marine based, sustainable source of omega-3s to help address the growing ‘fish in, fish out’ problem today,” said TerraVia CEO Jonathan Wolfson.