Planteneers has developed a range of products for manufacturers to use in alternatives to breaded fish, fish sticks, filets and more. A plant-based alternative to salmon filet is in the pipeline. The plant-based solutions are based on a range of protein texturates designed to give products a very fish-like, tender bite.
Among the company’s products are fiildTex, which can be used as alternatives to tuna pieces. With it, customers can reportedly use standard meat and fish production machinery to make alternative products that look and taste like canned tunafish. Another product in the range is fiildFish for alternatives to sushi-style raw fish and smoked products like smoked salmon. These plant-based products boast a flexible recipe, meaning different fish alternatives can be created by adjusting the specific flavour and colour. The end products can be sliced and are also freeze-thaw stable, making them suitable for convenience markets.
Plant-based alternatives to fish and seafood are the future, the company claims, not just in terms of nutrition, but ecologically. One reason is that these alternatives appeal to generation Z consumers, which is the largest population segment according to Innova Market Insights data.
Environmental organisations advise cutting back on consumption of ocean fish and seafood. The thermal processes involved in their manufacture mean plant-based alternatives to smoked fish and sushi are microbiologically safer than traditional fish products, Planteneers claims.
Florian Bark, Product Manager Planteneers, said: “The right choice of texturate is indispensable in order to get as close as possible to the animal product. Plant protein concentrates are also important in order to match the protein content of the final product to that of the original. In addition, we have a large portfolio of algae-based hydrocolloids that are perfect for making alternatives to fish and seafood.”
