Tofu is a traditional food in China with a good taste, easy digestion and absorption, and is deeply loved by consumers. According to different solidification methods, tofu can be divided into gypsum tofu, brine tofu, lactone tofu and other types. Tofu is rich in protein, unsaturated fatty acids, soy isoflavones, soy polysaccharides and other nutrients and bioactive ingredients, and has high nutritional and health value. It is recognized as an “international health food” The Dietary Guide for Chinese Residents strongly recommends bean products as the daily diet of countrymen people.

In recent years, the mechanization and automation level of China’s bean curd industry has been continuously improved, and the product quality has been effectively guaranteed, which has made an important contribution to the smooth implementation of the Healthy China strategy. However, the bean curd industry still has the problem of a single product category, which is difficult to meet the growing diversified dietary needs of consumers, so it is imperative to develop a variety of new bean curd products. There have been reports on the research of colored tofu, such as adding exogenous substances such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and eggs to tofu to make carrot tofu, wolfberry tofu, loofah ginger juice fish protein tofu, yam tofu, egg tofu, pumpkin tofu, etc.

Spirulina is a microalgae that forms a spiral shape under a microscope and is distributed in salt alkali lakes with sufficient light and suitable temperature. Spirulina contains high protein quality, up to 60% to 70%, and is easy to digest and absorb, making it a high-quality natural protein food source. Spirulina contains a special pigment protein – phycocyanin, which can improve lymphocyte activity and enhance human immunity. Spirulina is extremely rich in vitamins and minerals, such as 15 times the amount of carotenoids in carrots, 4 times the amount of vitamin B12 in pig liver, 23 times the amount of iron in spinach, and the appropriate ratio of zinc and iron, which is easily absorbed by the human body and can improve children’s anorexia.

Spirulina is rich in gamma linolenic acid, which is beneficial for health. The ideal substance for brain intelligence, clearing blood lipids, regulating blood pressure, and reducing cholesterol Research has shown that spirulina plays a positive role in enhancing immunity, fighting cancer, lowering blood lipids, cholesterol, weight loss, nourishing the stomach and liver, treating anemia, and adjusting metabolic functions. It has been recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations as one of the “most ideal foods of the 21st century”.

The geographical location and climate conditions in Ordos are suitable for the growth of spirulina, and the city’s spirulina production capacity is 5000 t/a, accounting for more than 55% of the total national production capacity. Adding spirulina to tofu can not only give tofu new nutritional value and health functions, but also open up effective ways for the deep processing of spirulina.