Realistic vegan shrimp, scallops, tuna are hitting the market this year

Vegan food has evolved at a rapid pace and each new innovation seems to be better than the last. First comes the “bleeding” burger, followed by realistic plant-based chicken. And now, seafood options are coming into focus with startups proving there’s more than one way to make realistic vegan fish.

There are vegan tuna and salmon made from protein-rich legumes, while others are made from soy or a root vegetable called konjac to mimic the taste, texture and nutrition of fish. More recently, several startups have begun to exploit the biological kingdom of mushrooms to further innovate plant-based seafood.

Aqua Cultured Foods

Mycelium, the root system of mushrooms, naturally grows in a structure similar to the muscle tissue of seafood and is milder in flavor. This unique structure has proven its ability to be used in a variety of applications and has already been used to produce mushroom skin and mushroom meat.

Soon, consumers will taste the power of mycelium as a seafood alternative.

Preparing fish-free shrimp and scallops

Chicago-based startup Aqua Cultured Foods is developing calamari, shrimp, scallops and tuna and whitefish fillets with a proprietary mycelium fermentation process that uses no animal inputs, genetic modification or modification. The startup says that using mycelium allows it to naturally retain fiber, protein and other micronutrients.

Aqua recently raised $5.5 million in seed funding to bring its ultra-realistic seafood alternative to market. It will use the investment to equip its new facility for this year’s product introduction, ramp up production, add key talent and expand its list of restaurants and food service outlets.

Aqua Cultured Foods

“We appreciate mission-aligned partners who provide strong strategic value for our next phase of growth, which includes building the business and brand,” Anne Palermo, Aqua’s CEO, said in a statement.

“Being good stewards of investor capital is important to us, so in addition to hitting milestones ahead of schedule, we’re benefiting from government programs, academic resources and other benefits to go to market faster.”

Aqua’s primary value is its low cost of scaling and path to price parity, thanks to proprietary fermentation methods that use relatively affordable inputs and equipment. The startup recently acquired a food-grade facility already built nearly to its requirements, which it estimates will save more than $1 million in construction costs.

Aqua Cultured Foods

Aqua also makes ground vegan seafood fillings for applications such as dumplings, ravioli and sushi rolls. One of the startup’s options is a bulk shrimp option that can be seasoned, packaged and co-branded by retailers or distributors.

Aqua Cultured believes that this sector presents another lucrative and highly accessible market opportunity as frozen dumplings are a staple in countries such as China, South Korea and Japan.

Vegan seafood aims to save the oceans

While Aqua is on its way to bringing its products to market, other startups around the world are also harnessing the power of mycelium for vegan seafood. Germany’s Essentia Foods is the first startup in Europe to produce vegan seafood from mycelium. Founded by scientist and chef Bruno Scocozza and business strategist Hendrik Kaye, Essencia aims to promote a global transition to sustainable ocean stewardship with mycelium alternatives.

According to the United Nations, 80 percent of the world’s fish stocks are overstocked and with growing demand for seafood, some scientists are predicting that the oceans will shrink by 2048.

Essence Foods

In an effort to avoid the dramatic consequences of the ocean’s future, Essencia is developing a technology platform using mycelium capable of replicating the unique texture and mouthfeel of seafood to offer options that better mimic conventional seafood, starting with scallops and salmon.

Using a solid-state fermentation process, Essencia grows mycelium in a way that resembles tempeh but uses fungi that provide a soft texture to products like scallops and a complex texture to fish like sea bass.

The startup also recognizes its challenges, such as recreating the fatty texture of smoked salmon. To fix this, Esencia plans to partner with a plant-based fat company. The startup hopes to launch its first products in restaurants and food services by the end of this year before expanding to retail.

“As a scientist-chef hybrid, I want to go beyond creating an ‘alternative product,’ but create products that consumers love because they are culinary highlights,” Skokoza said in a statement. “We want to write a chapter in food history.”

“Mycelium solid state fermentation is the perfect technology to create the texture and flavor consumers want, while producing at a price parity—to create a tangible impact,” he said.

Vegan Seafood for Fine Dining

Similarly, another mycelium seafood project is underway in Copenhagen, where scientists are working with chefs at Alchemist, Copenhagen’s two Michelin-starred restaurants, to create a new seafood by growing fungi on seaweed. Funded by The Good Food Institute, the project aims to demonstrate an innovative method of producing sustainable food through fermentation.

Led by Dr. Leonie Jahn of the Technical University of Denmark and Diego Prado, the project will see chefs experiment with the fungus to eventually create whole-cut seafood. If successful, the product may be sold in restaurants and widely available for purchase.

“Our main goal with the project is to try to create a unique and delicious product that is good enough to serve in a fine dining restaurant using natural ingredients, where the seaweed gives the flavor of the sea and the mycelium adds an interesting texture,” said Prado, who is from Alchemist. The head of research also said in a statement.

Aqua Cultured Foods

The team is investigating how the texture of filamentous fungi can be used to create a range of sustainable foods. The goal is to identify how different conditions can be used to change the texture of fungi, from scaffolds to products that form meat cultured from animal cells—animal-free foods that look and taste like meat.

“I will be impressed by the results of Dr. Jahn’s research,” Seren Kell, science and technology manager at the Good Food Institute Europe, said in a statement. “Seafood is an area where we urgently need to see innovation, and there is huge opportunity for companies and governments to invest in more research to develop plant-based and farmed seafood that can help meet growing demand in a sustainable way.”