use of, fucoidan is growing rapidly across the western world as scientific research gains momentum and global regulatory approvals expand. The use of fucoidan as a novel ingredient in dietary supplements, skincare products and functional foods and beverages is increasing. Active research into the health benefits of fucoidan continues across a range of health indications including anti-cancer, immune modulation, anti-viral, digestive health, anti-inflammation, wound healing and anti-ageing applications. Research Over 2300 scientific peer-reviewed papers now indicate various bioactive functions of fucoidan. Research has predominantly focussed on the areas of anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-inflammation, immunity, gut and digestive health, wound healing and anti-ageing. Emerging areas of scientific research include microbiome, renal disease, dental health, biomaterials, drug delivery, coagulation and neuroprotection. Active fucoidan research occurs in Australia, Japan, Korea, Russia and China in addition to Europe and the Americas. Chemistry Fucoidans are sulfated polysaccharides derived primarily from brown algae. The main sugar found in the polymer backbone is fucose, hence the name fucoidan. Other sugars are often present alongside fucose, including galactose, xylose, arabinose and rhamnose. The relative content of these sugars in fucoidan varies significantly between species of algae and can also be affected by the extraction method. The same holds true for the degree of sulfation and other structural features such as acetylation that are only found in fucoidans from certain species. The polymer backbone is negatively charged owing to the presence of sulfate groups and is thus balanced by the presence of metal cations. The molecular weight of fucoidans is typically high (ca. 50-1000 kDa) and the distribution polydisperse. Extraction techniques that minimise polymer degradation tend to preserve this feature, while other methods can be used to target more specific molecular weight fractions (e.g. 8 kDa). These low molecular weight fractions are generally low yielding and tend to be used for functional research. Full chemical characterisation is complicated by the number of structural features present in fucoidan. As such, accurate fucoidan analysis involves the use of a number of assays, to quantify the carbohydrates, sulfation, acetylation, molecular weight and cations. These are determined using a number of techniques, including UV-Vis spectrometry, High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) and Inductively-Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (ICP). Gas Chromatography (GC) is also often used to determine the sugar composition of the carbohydrate backbone. Fucoidan product Fucoidan can be utilised as a stand-alone ingredient or readily incorporated with other ingredients. Delivery formats vary