Fish Straight from the Garden

The plant-based "meat" industry is now a more than $900 million annual market, an 18% increase in sales over just the last year. According to the Plant-Based Foods Association, 79% of millenials already consume plant-based meats regularly. Granted there are many issues still to be resolved. Plant-based foods are processed foods and are not always healthier, and texture, taste and scale of production are still not ideal.

Still, plant-based seafood producers expect the same popularity for fish-less products. Plant-based tuna, salmon, caviar, scallops, squid, crab and shrimp have already entered the market. For those that already adhere to a vegetarian or vegan diet, plant-based seafood offers additional dietary choice where there were no options before. For the millions of people with seafood allergies, these products can be a welcome addition to their diets and offer nutritional benefits as well. Plant-based seafood producers boast zero-mercury, no fishy smell, no concern about micro-plastics and a feel-good way to address global overfishing concerns.

Presently there are over 80 companies worldwide that are already producing plant-based "seafood" products. But mimicking the texture and taste of seafood is far more challenging than for beef and poultry. Look for marked improvements. Investments in the sector have been steadily increasing since 2017, which saw $4 million invested in the category. In 2018, this increased to $16.7 million, 2019 saw $41 million in investments, while 2020 had more than $35 million invested in the vegan seafood market. Taste, texture and nutritional profile can be expected to improve quickly as demand begins to grow.

Chickpea "tuna" salad anyone?