Faux Seafood manufacturers are seeking to make their niche products mainstream. Ambitious new offerings with great taste and texture are coming to the market.
It’s been hard to miss the meteoric rise of veggie burgers but now get ready for another dietary trend, vegan seafood!
Experts predict eating plant-based fish could become a popular choice for consumers who have fears about mercury levels, shellfish allergies or the impact of over-fishing on the environment. Add to this the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s understandable that people are ready for change.
With more than $500 billion of fish sold globally each year, fish makes up 20% of the average per-capita intake of animal protein consumed around the world. That’s a huge market for food businesses and entrepreneurs willing to move in and take on the traditional fish industry.
One of the companies leading the way in the plant-based seafood alternative market is Sophie’s Kitchen. Founded by Eugene Wang and located in Sebastapol, California, Sophie’s Kitchen offers fish-free options such as watermelon tuna steak, banana blossom fish and chips, smoked carrot salmon, Quorn fish fingers and tofu marinated in seaweed flakes.
Another company in the faux-fish space is Good Catch. Started by brothers, Chad and Derek Sarno, Good Catch use their proprietary six-legume blend (peas, chickpeas, lentils, soy, fava beans and navy beans) as the base of their inaugural products. For the real sea food taste, they utilize seaweed and algae extracts.
When you consider nearly 90% of the world’s marine fish stocks now fully exploited, over-exploited, or depleted, these trail blazing companies are offering an alternative way forward with environmental, health and welfare benefits while at the same time providing products with seafood textures, nutritional value and flavours.
We think plant-based fish and veggie seafood is going to be popular with vegetarians and flexitarians alike. What do you think? Let us know!