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It can be consumed directly as the paste which is harvested or dried. This is highly useful for cheap, local distribution in rural areas. Further it is also suitable to be produced industrially for the middle class. This is in the form of pills sold in pharmacies or combined with various food products such as rice, milk products, energy bars, candy, noodles, etc.

Spirulina was rediscovered during a European scientific mission in Chad, as a traditional food of the locals called dihé. It was a blue-green, dried cake made of a micro-organism which grew in the natural alkaline lagoons found in this region.

It was found that people had been consuming this for centuries not only in Chad, but also in Mexico and other areas. Even though people here had extremely poor diet, they did not suffer from malnutrition.

Malnutrition is a pathological condition caused by the lack of essential nutrients such as amino acids, proteins, and vitamins. Hence it is caused not only by lack of food but also due to the poor quality of the food available in less economically developed areas. It can prevent physical growth as well as cognitive development and cause many other problems, such as immune dysfunction. UN figures show that over 250 million children suffer from malnutrition.