Chlorella is a food source because it is high in protein and other essential nutrients; when dried, it is about 45% protein, 20% fat, 20% carbohydrate, 5% fiber, and 10% minerals and vitamins. Mass-production methods are now being used to cultivate it in large man-made circular ponds. It is commonly used as a superfood and can be found as an ingredient in certain liquid-based cocktails.

Chlorella is consumed as a health supplement primarily in the United States and Canada and as a food supplement in Japan. Manufacturers of Chlorella products assert that it has a number of purported health effects, including an ability to treat cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, “available scientific studies do not support its effectiveness for preventing or treating cancer or any other disease in humans”.

Although the production of Chlorella looked promising and involved creative technology, it has not to date been cultivated on the scale some had predicted. It has not been sold on the scale of Spirulina, soybean products, or whole grains. Costs have remained high, and Chlorella has for the most part been sold as a health food, for cosmetics, or as animal feed.