Red seaweed Palmaria palmata: A sustainable protein source for the future

The growing global demand for alternative proteins, driven by concerns over environmental sustainability and protein shortages, highlights red seaweed as a promising candidate. Among them, Palmaria palmata (commonly known as dulse), abundant along North Atlantic shores, stands out for its relatively high protein content (8-35 % dry weight). This chapter summarizes recent advances in protein extraction methods, nutritional, techno-functional, and health-promoting properties, physicochemical characteristics, and structural features of red seaweed proteins. It also explores their potential applications in food and beverages, bioactive peptides, and food packaging. Finally, the key challenges hindering their widespread use in the food sector and future research directions are discussed.