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Algae basics 101
These little blue green algae have been around for 3.5 billion years and are considered the mother of life on earth. Our launch algae-of-choice, spirulina, was cultivated by the Aztecs and other ancient civilizations in their super food arsenal. Want to know more about spirulina? Check out the page What is spirulina?
Our spirulina is grown inside in so-called reactors in the Netherlands
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Spirulina needs CO2, light (our spirulina loves a specific LED diet) , nutrients and a watery medium to grow. Fun fact: The CO2 is sourced from a nearby brewery
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Once grown after one to two weeks (!), the spirulina is filtered out of the water and ready for consumption – no further processing required (other than storing, packaging, shipping, and you working your magic in the kitchen)
Not all algae in nature are safe to eat, but our products are. Micro-algae like spirulina and chlorella have been consumed for thousands of years and are widely accepted as a great source of nutrients
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However, we’re not doctors and cannot give you medical advice. So please always talk to your doctor if you are not sure what spirulina may do to your health
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We do want to make two notes here:
1. The specific risks and side effects during pregnancy are unknown. We say this not because we have found research that indicates there's a risk when pregnant. Just because... we have not found any specific and conclusive research on the effect of spirulina on pregnancy 🤷🏼♂️
2. Spirulina is known to give a strong boost to the immune system. People suffering from auto-immune disorders should talk to their doctor first before use
Fresh algae are living organisms and vaporize fumes. If you still smell the product 20 seconds after opening the jar, then the product may be spoiled and we advise you to bin it. If this has happened to your product sooner than expected (see above), reach out to us
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If the product starts to separate in green and blue colours: rest assured. Spirulina is a blue-green algae and the blue pigment (called phycocyanin) is perfectly natural (and actually a great detoxification agent). Sometimes you can also see a trace of red in your spirulina. This is also perfectly natural (Google "C pycoerythrin" to learn more).
See the previous question if you're unsure that the impact of spirulina on your body is and in that case always talk to your doctor
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Generally, you can eat as much spirulina as feels right, but to start we suggest starting with one 15-gram gem per day and gradually scale up your use to allow your body to adjust
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On average, our customers use one up to three frozen spirulina gems per day, with some customers using more
Algy products
In order to first rock one product and then scale to others, we have standardised our production and shipment process for frozen spirulina gems. This way you get the best quality, and we get focus
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However, we will soon also expand to fresh refrigerated spirulina, and will also include other micro- and macro algae (like chlorella and sea weeds). Stay tuned!
Frozen: The “Best until”-date is included on the jar, but in general you can keep your frozen products for at least 6 months (if frozen at -18 degrees Celsius)
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Thawed: If your frozen product has thawed, we advise you to consume within 3 days if refrigerated (at max. 7 degrees Celsius). Why? The freezing process harms the cell structure of spirulina, which means it will spoil quicker after thawing compared to our fresh products
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Fresh: If refrigerated at max. 7 degrees Celsius, spirulina will not spoil for at least 7 days. Again: check the "Best until"-date and you'll know when you need to start paying attention to funky smells
Nothing bad to report here
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Our spirulina is non-GMO, vegan, and does not harm the natural food chain. It uses CO2 to grow, which is sourced from a nearby beer brewery. How's that for circular?!
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Its just a 100% pure & fresh product, grown inside without pesticides ... like it should be 🍀
Shipping, delivery and local pick-up
We ship your order in insulated containers and ensure freshness until your doorstep
Our products need to stay ❄cool❄ and are delicate, so shipping is a challenge 💪🏼
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As we want to make sure you get the best quality shipping available, we have selected a national delivery champion partner Leen Menken 🦸🏽♂️ who delivers right at your doorstep
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Our partner will call you on your mobile shortly before delivery, so you have enough time to prepare and answer the door. Say hi to him or her from us! 👋🏼
If you are not home at the time of delivery, our delivery partner will first ask your neighbors to accept your order and put it in the freezer. A bit of a hassle for them, but usually no problem (and it helps if you inform your neighbor in advance and leave a note for our delivery partner).
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If your neighbors are not home or refuse the delivery, a second delivery attempt will be made (for which we will incur additional costs 😥)
We believe in the power of sustainable local production and consumption of fresh products. In the same vein, we offer local pick-up of our products at a limited number of pick-up locations, which is free of charge for you
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Select this option in your check-out and show up on the selected day (only Fridays for now)
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Please bring your own insulation and cooling materials as the gems will melt quickly when outside temperatures are above 0 degrees (like regular ice cubes)
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We intend to grow the number and geographical spread of local pick-up locations, so stay tuned or reach out to us if you'd like to become a local pick-up location and earn a small fee per pick-up (and a nice discount on your own orders)💰
We want waste-free packaging to be the norm. You can help us by returning the empty jar with our delivery partner upon delivery of a new order so we can make another customer happy with the same jar.
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The jars are also great for your pantry and invite you to buy package-free groceries... so if you promise to use the jar well, you may also keep it 🤫
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Please do not recycle glass jars via the glass containers. It's hardened glass so it won’t recycle well. We'll take the jar back with us for another happy customer upon your next delivery!
Yes! These jars are made from hardened glass and should last a lifetime if you put them in the freezer or even a dishwasher. The metal clasps are, however, not a fan of the dishwasher and should be removed. This is a little tricky for a first-timer, but you'll get the hang of it
Our products melt quickly and therefore spoil easily, so cancelling an order or returning a delivered order is usually not permitted. It depends on whether or not your order is already being transported. However, we are a friendly bunch, so if you reach out to hello@algyfoods.com we'll be able to answer most questions and if reasonable we'll help you out the best we can 🍀
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Please check out our Terms of Use for more information
Unless you want to use all your gems at once, we suggest storage in a dark & ❄freezing-cool❄ place (-18 Celsius); your freezer is usually the best place ... 😉