How do I Identify Fake Sea Moss?

Here are some tips to help you easily spot “fake” sea moss.  

Spotting “fake” or pool grown sea moss is really quite easy once you know how. Here I’ll walk you  through how to spot pool grown sea moss with four simple tips. The main things I look for on the  surface is the presence of large grains of processed salt, a lack of imperfections that occur  naturally, and signs of chemical interference. 

Tip 1 – The Perfect Look  

Does your sea moss have that perfect look? Meaning, is it all roughly the same size and  thickness? 

Sea moss grows in a distinct way. You’ll know pool grown compared to ocean harvested based  on the look. 

It’s a bit like being able to tell the difference between home grown or organic vegetables and the  commercially grown vegetables you buy at the store. 

Real sea moss that is grown in the open ocean will be thicker in some parts than others. It will  also have some variations on the length and density of the thallus. 

Tip 2 – The Salt Grains  

There will be surface salt that naturally occurs, but it’s the size of the salt grains, and the taste that  really gives this away. 

Sea moss soaks up the salt water it grows in. And as a result, when it dries, this shows up on the  surface. 

Is your sea moss lightly dusted with salt that is as fine as icing sugar? This is Real Authentic sea  moss. If it is packaged with grains of salt that looks more like rock salt, or table salt, chances are  it’s fake. This is not to be confused with sand. Sand and salt looks very different.  

There’s also a very distinct difference in the taste of natural sea salt and processed salt. Try them  and see for yourself. 

Tip 3 – Other Seaweed with it  

Real sea moss that is grown in the ocean will occasionally have stray pieces of another type of  seaweed with it. 

Sometimes you will find quite a few pieces mixed in there. This is normal.  

In pools and tanks there are no other species of seaweed, just sea moss. Pools also lack sand  and the occasional ‘sea dirt,' which can be found on sea moss. 

Think of sea dirt as the very light silt that can be kicked up in the ocean during rough waves,  storms or surface activity. This can settle on the sea moss during the growing stages.  

A heavy build up of this sea dirt sediment can cause the plant to suffer. It blocks the sun and  inhibits photosynthesis, which can be thought of as like a type of suffocation. This can then lead  to other complications and the introduction of disease to the crop.

Tip 4 – Differences in colour or tone  

Authentic sea moss which has been allowed to grow naturally in the ocean will have some colour  variations, or slight differences in tones. Knowing how to spot fake sea moss is really easy with  this tip. If you’ve got a batch of sea moss that is all the same colour, it may be fake, or even worse  it may be bleached.  

Sea moss naturally comes in a few different colours. This is a result of where it is grown, and  some slight species variations in the seaweed family. This means that for it to be golden white it  has required some processing. 

This processing is typically a simple application of exposure to sunlight. Depending on the colour  of the sea moss, it can often have some tonal variations after the sun drying stage. 

But how is the colour changed? It’s a simple process to take sea moss from being olive green,  purple, brown, red, yellow or a warm orange to the golden white colour you’re familiar with. This  requires no chemicals when done properly, just controlled exposure to the direct sunlight to sweat  out the colour. 

Where bleaching has been applied there’s a consistent white look to the sea moss. No little darker  patches, no pieces that are more fawn than golden white. It looks very processed. 

These colour variations after sun drying come from the sea moss growing in natural conditions  where it is exposed to slight variations in light, temperature and water movements. 

Tank farmed sea moss will typically not have these variables as it is grown in an extremely  controlled conditions. There’s no room for nature to create such noticeable differences. 

How Common is Fake Sea Moss? 

As stated before, fake sea moss isn’t as common as you might be led to believe. Globally, the rise  of seaweed farming in the ocean is on the increase. Pool grown sea moss in the laboratory like  conditions that Sebi cautioned us about is not able to compete with the awesome power of  Mother Nature and the Ocean. 

***What is more common is the lower grade quality of sea moss that is intended for animal  consumption or industrial application being sold as food grade for human consumption***  

This is the present threat that is faced today by companies and individuals sourcing high quality  sea moss. 

This lower grade sea moss is grown in the ocean, but not the quality of waters that you would be  happy to have your sea moss grown in. Often, it is in areas that are close to commercial ports and  harbours, or waters that are polluted by various types of run off, or in the line of currents from  ocean dead zones . 

Knowing more about the conditions of the waters is vital so that you know you are getting a clean,  and mineral dense supply of sea moss.