Alternative seafood doesn’t yet have the same consumer awareness as plant-based burgers and sausages, but that isn’t stopping a smaller cohort of companies including Finless Foods and Good Catch working to create both cell-cultivated and plant-based alternatives.
Kuleana, is a new plant-based seafood start-up hoping to make their mark by producing a realistic sushi-grade raw tuna alternative. The San Francisco-based business uses iron, algae oil and a special mix of different proteins to create a product that recreates the taste and texture of raw fish.
Jacek Prus, Kuleana co-founder and CEO says the company is steering clear of manufacturing with 3D printing in order to obtain a “raw” texture for their product. “Nobody has really done raw tuna very well yet,” says Prus. “The taste of tuna isn’t the hardest part… it’s the texture.”
Kuleana is targeting foodservice outlets first, aiming to have the product appearing in pre-prepared sushi or poke bowls across by the end of the year.
Read more: Y Combinator’s Kuleana is making an animal free substitute for raw tuna [Tech crunch]