In the first major collaboration between a seafood-focused firm and plant-based food company, Bumble Bee is joining with Gathered Foods Corporation, which makes Good Catch plant-based seafood products, on a distribution deal.
San Diego, California, U.S.A.-based Bumble Bee will “leverage its sales, distribution and logistics expertise to ensure that consumers nationwide have access to Good Catch products at affordable prices,” Bumble Bee said in a press release.
The tuna giant will also launch new products this year, and recently revamped its packaging. Bumble Bee will soon roll out new microwavable "bistro bowls," which are low-calorie meals containing tuna, vegetables, and rice or pasta, CNN reported.
It is also rolling out new "protein-on-the-run" snack packs that include crackers, a sea salt caramel chew, and tuna. Three different tuna flavors in the packs include: zesty lemon, black pepper, and sweet jalapeno.
“It is also launching nine flavors of tuna in pouches, equipped with a spork so people can eat on the run, as well as a similar product in an easy-to-open can with a clear lid,” CNN reported.
The Gathered Foods partnership came about because “seafood is the next wave in the plant-based revolution that has been centered in the dairy and meat aisle,” Bumble Bee said.
Good Catch has created “great-tasting” plant-based products using a proprietary blend of ingredients that offer similar texture, flavor, and nutritional value as seafood, Bumble Bee said.
“This partnership is a win for Bumble Bee, Good Catch, consumers and the health of our oceans. Bumble Bee has always been deeply committed to sustainable fishing and we have been actively working to manage fish stocks across our portfolio,” Bumble Bee President and CEO Jan Tharp said. “It is critically important that as an industry we continue to find innovative solutions to decouple growth with environmental impact. Providing great-tasting alternative ways for consumers to enjoy ocean-inspired foods is a key pillar of our long-term commitment to ocean health.”
Good Catch CEO and Co-founder Chris Kerr said he was excited to break new ground in bringing plant-based products into the mainstream.
“Innovative, mission-driven start-ups generally enter the market with limited access,” Kerr said. “In forming this partnership with a forward-thinking and deeply rooted company like Bumble Bee, we can reach far more consumers who want fish-alternative products.”
Bumble Bee is also rolling out a new nautical look for packaging across its products, with new labels. The labels list the amount protein per container and include health messages, such as “bee well for life,” CNN said.
Photo courtesy of Gathered Foods Corporation
