A misconception exists that seafood is the more sustainable option over red meat and four-legged animals. While fish and crustaceans are wild and do not release greenhouse gases like cattle and other livestock, many fishing methods cause habitat destruction and create plastic pollution. On top of this, due to extreme overfishing, many ocean-dwelling species are now threatened or endangered. When an ecosystem loses too many of one species, this causes a trophic cascade, which means the other organisms that depend on this certain species as a food source starve.
The state of our oceans feels a little depressing, right? We feel the same way. What gives us hope are the companies developing plant-based and cell-based alternatives to wild-caught fish and seafood. As consumers, by choosing these alternative products, we can help take the strain off our oceans, allow species to replenish, and reduce plastic waste and habit destruction caused by poor fishing practices.
Here are two recent alternative seafood innovations:
3D-printed salmon
Revo Foods, an Austrian food tech start-up, unveiled its 3D-printed, plant-based salmon fillet at a tasting event in Vienna on May 30th. The fillet, made with ingredients including pea protein, algae extracts, and plant oils, was prepared by a Michelin star chef, and sampled by 10 tasters. Can’t wait to try this product yourself? The fillets should be available in stores by early 2023. Revo’s first product, plant-based smoked salmon, is already available in 16 European countries.
Jackfruit fish fillet
UK-based Jack & Bry produces various plant-based meat alternatives, and recently, the company unveiled what it is calling the world’s first jackfruit fish fillet (news from Vegconomist). Jackfruit is the star ingredient, but the fish-like flavor was created using seaweed from The Cornish Seaweed Company.
