We were sent a post on Instagram of a new sea moss brand that began their journey in December 2023. The specific post we were sent was of it's owner telling the brands audience of 19.5k that they are being scammed (yes, scammed) by other sea moss companies in two ways:
- The first claim is that dry sea moss is dead sea moss and that their wet sea moss is what's full of nutrients. Basic science would indicate that his claims simply aren't true.
- The second claim is that other brands offer a small amount in comparison to what their brand offers. Comparing 50g of dry sea moss to their 400g.
This post is very disturbing because we have someone with a heavy personal social media influence spreading misinformation on something that is dear to our hearts. It'd be understandable if they were just misguided themselves, but they didn't do their due diligence and also intentionally degraded other brands in the process. They could have been direct and mentioned whom it was addressed, but instead generalized their statements, allowing the public to do what they will with it. It just wasn't necessary. A great brand will never need to tear down another product for a sale, especially while being wrong about their information.
Let's tackle the easiest point first. Yes, some people do exceed rational pricing for products, however, a lot of sea moss companies who do price a bit higher can be to numerous factors such as diver contracts, importing, storage and facility, packaging, education, employees, leasing, even little things like keeping up to code, among many other reasons. Sea moss may be their main source of income for their family - live and let live.
If you're looking for cheaper methods of consuming sea moss, we highly recommend buying bulk, and prepping gel according to your needs. We'd be more than happy to walk you through the process of preparing and storing sea moss gel.
Now, upon fulfilling curiosity of checking their pricing, we found that their main product is sea moss gel, which is being offered on sale at $55 CAD for 500ml (16oz), with the regular price of $65 CAD.
$65.00 CAD converted to their dollar at current rates (1 to 1.13 in favour of theirs), their takeaway is $73.41 their currency. $47.97 USD for additional reference. Per 16oz jar, or in their case, tin, which they claim is locally sourced for their brand. To be fair, their website is capable of billing in your currency which updates the pricing at slightly better rates than our manual calculations that would apply for FX on your card if you don't allow cookies and update the feature accordingly.
Second point, dry sea moss is dead sea moss? By that theory, all extracted sea moss is dead. All dried food is dead. The statement is just dense. Combine that with making a whole video, now it's intentionally deceptive.
Dried foods have been a process of consumption and preservation for centuries. The dehydrating process actually retains a food's original nutritional value. For example, apple chips will have the same calorie, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber, and sugar content as the fresh fruit. However, because dried food loses its water content, it's usually smaller in size and has more calories by weight.
Why dry sea moss?
Please note that we can only speak for AnGel Moss so we'll give you our why's. The first being that we import our Genus Gracilaria from the Caribbean. If we were to sell sea moss wet, not only would it significally increase pricing for no justifiable reason. Wet sea moss is also increasingly high risk of instability and spoilage, hence the warnings of gels.
Some examples of dried foods:
- Herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, etc.)
- Vegetables (tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, etc.)
- Fruit (Prunes, dates, peaches, apples, raisins, etc.)
- Nuts (almonds, cashews, etc.)
- Grains (rice, quinoa, etc.)
- Seaweed (sea moss, nori, kombu, etc.)
- Spices (Chili flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.)
Dried foods can have slightly altered nutritional profiles compared to their fresh counterparts, but they can still be nutritious. Here are some general considerations:
-
Vitamins and Minerals: Drying can lead to some loss of heat-sensitive vitamins like vitamin C and B vitamins. However, many minerals remain stable during drying, especially if done so responsibly.
-
Calories: Dried fruits, for example, can be more calorie-dense than fresh fruits because the removal of water concentrates their sugars and nutrients.
-
Fiber: The fiber content of dried foods remains relatively unchanged, which is beneficial for digestion and overall health.
-
Antioxidants: Some antioxidants may be reduced during the drying process, but many remain intact, providing health benefits.
-
Convenience: Dried foods are convenient and have a longer shelf life, which can help reduce food waste and provide nutrition in times when fresh foods are not available or affordable.
Overall, while some nutrients may be slightly reduced in dried foods, they can still be a nutritious part of a balanced diet, especially when fresh foods are not readily available or accessible. Yes, we can agree that fresh anything is best, however it's not always best option out of all or the most sustainable.
We did comment on the brands posts to correct their comments which were only deleted shortly after, yet the video remained posted/visible. So now we'll be using it as educational content for our channels to help recoup some damage that these statements can cause.
All in all, please do not listen to just anyone about sea moss and general health/wellness, especially if they're running on hype. Quality people provide quality information and quality solutions/products. Beyond AnGel Moss, there are PLENTY other brands worldwide that are putting the work in.
Sources: