Would you eat pond scum? Eating Microalgae! Listen to 6 Minute English

Neil: Hello. This is 6 Minute English from

BBC Learning English. I’m Neil.

Sam: And I’m Sam.

Neil: In this programme, we’ll be looking

at an unusual food called microalgae and

asking whether eating algae might be

better for our health and the health of the

planet. And of course, we’ll be looking at

some of the

related vocabulary along the way.

Sam: Yuck! I’m not sure about eating

algae, Neil! I mean, what’s the strangest

thing you’ve ever eaten?

Neil: Well, I once tried fried stick insect

in Thailand… and I’ve had ants, as well,

that were from Colombia.

Sam: Ah, OK, yeah – both fairly strange

for us here in the UK. But what about

pond scum, Neil?

Neil: Pond scum? Pond scum is the slang

name for microalgae - green plant

organisms, such as spirulina, which grow

in water - like ponds and look a bit slimy

or scummy before being dried. Here,

we’re talking about edible algae, meaning

it’s OK to eat. Sam: More than OK, in fact

– these types of food algae are actually

good for your body! Microalgae like

spirulina and chlorella are packed full of

proteins, vitamins and antioxidants.

Because they are so healthy, they’re

having a moment right now, meaning they

are becoming more well-known and

popular. Neil: Yes, microalgae is trending

just now and for good reasons, which

we’ll find out about later. But first, let me

ask you our quiz question. What do the

following three things have in common:

oceans, snow and my garden patio? Is it…

a) They are all good places to relax.

b) They are all very cold.

c) They are all places where microalgae

grow. Sam: Well, I know that oceans and

snow are made up of water… but your

garden patio?

Did your barbeque get rained off again,

Neil? Neil: No, not quite, Sam! Well,

hopefully you’ll know by the end of the

programme. Now, I mentioned before that

microalgae is sometimes called a

superfood - a type of food which is

essentially full of healthy vitamins,

minerals and nutrients. But microalgae is

not the first superfood to become

popular. Sam: That’s right. In the early

2010s, many juice bars started popping

up in places around

the world selling green smoothies -

energy drinks made by blending healthy

ingredients like kale, chard and spinach.

The recent trend for microalgae and

spirulina has been promoted

in part by big drinks companies wanting

to sell the latest brightly coloured

smoothies. Neil: And more and more,

spirulina is also being used as a cooking

ingredient – in hot dogs and meatballs –

and as a protein-rich substitute for eggs

in pasta and mayonnaise.

Sam: But as well as all these health

benefits, there’s another advantage to

microalgae superfoods - one that could

potentially benefit the whole planet. BBC

Radio 4’s The Food Programme asked

Professor Alison Smith, Head

of Plant Sciences at Cambridge

University, to explain:

Alison Smith: As the population of the

world increases and the land that’s

available for agriculture is becoming

stretched, there’s an interest in trying to

increase productivity by other means…so

sustainable intensification of agriculture

is one way… Neil: So food security is an

issue - making sure enough nutritionally-

rich food is produced to feed the growing

world population. Alison Smith says the

amount of agricultural land available for

growing food is becoming stretched,

meaning there are not enough resources,

in this case farm land, to meet everyone’s

needs. Sam: Yes, and she mentions that

one possible solution is sustainable

intensification of

agriculture - which means increasing food

production in ways which don’t damage

the environment or use new land.

Neil: Well, we know that microalgae are

superfoods, nutritionally rich in vitamins

and protein, but how do they help reduce

the need for agricultural land? Alison

Smith explains: Alison Smith: “…they can

be grown in all sorts of locations – in

water, in oceans, ponds, lakes and so on,

even on your patio and on snow… so one

of the possibilities is to produce these

organisms in cities and towns because

they don’t need the open landscape

to be grown.”

Sam: I think I’ve spotted the answer to

your quiz question, Neil.

Neil: Oh yes? I asked what oceans, snow

and my patio have in common.

a) They are all good places to relax

b) They are all very cold

c) They are all places where microalgae

grow Sam: The answer is c ) - places

where microalgae can grow! What an

amazing plant! I think I’m going to stop

calling it pond scum and use

the correct scientific name Prof Smith

mentioned, organisms. Neil: Today’s

programme was all about microalgae

like spirulina, a green, edible food algae

which some people call pond scum,

although scientifically speaking it’s an

organism, meaning an animal or plant life

form. Sam: Yes, and this plant life form is

also called a superfood, because it’s

especially rich in vitamins, minerals and

nutrients which promote good health.

Neil: Superfoods are having a moment

right now, meaning they’re becoming

more popular or trending because they’re

so healthy. Sam: And another benefit of

microalgae is that it grows almost

anywhere. So it doesn’t use much

agricultural land, which is becoming

stretched, meaning there’s not enough of

it to meet the world’s food needs.

Sustainable intensification is another

possible solution to this problem,

because it is a way of increasing

food production without harming the

environment or using new land. Don’t

forget you can find lots more learning

materials and topical vocabulary on our

website at bbclearningenglish.com.

Please join us again soon. Bye for now!

Neil: Bye!