New products geared toward the emerging plant-based seafood analogs market have been rolled out by Germany firms Planteneers and Loryma.
Planteneers, which is headquartered in Ahrensburg, Germany, recently released fiildTex, an alternative to tuna pieces, the company said. The product can be utilized within standard fish production machinery “to make alternative tuna that looks and tastes like canned tunafish, and can be used in many ways,” according to Planteneers.
The firm has also released alternatives to sushi-style raw fish and smoked products called fiildFish.
“These plant-based products impress with typical fish structure and texture. But what makes them special is the flexible recipe – different fish alternatives can be created by adjusting the specific flavor and color. The end products can be readily sliced and are also freeze-thaw stable. This makes them very well suited for convenience products,” Planteneers said in a press release.
The company, which said it has “developed various product ideas with which manufacturers can make alternatives to breaded fish, fish sticks, filets, and more,” is working on a plant-based alternative to salmon fillets.
Planteneers Product Manager Florian Bark said the developer focuses on textures with its plant-based seafood creations to render a “very fish-like, tender bite.”
“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,” Bark said.
Meanwhile, Zwingenberg, Germany-based Loryma has debuted a new concept that taps into the vegan seafood alternatives trend. The company’s wheat ingredients for plant-based seafood analogs “enable a range of applications such as vegan fried fish or fish fillets, and meet consumer demand for sustainable, plant-based alternatives,” it said.
“Plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular, which has led to a surge in demand for fish alternative products. This is due in part to growing awareness of issues such as overfished seas, pollutants and microplastics. Vegan cod, salmon, tuna, baked fish, and fish fingers are just a few examples of products that can be created with wheat-based ingredients. All components are flavor-neutral, so the desired fish taste can be individualized with the addition of specific flavors,” Loryma said.
Loryma's product portfolio includes Lory Stab, a functional mixture that can mirror “species-typical muscle tissue of fish meat,” and Lory Bind, a compound that “provides inner binding and specific mouthfeel,” the company said. It also produces the Lory Tex range, a line of extruded wheat proteins that “replicate the precise texture of tuna” and, when supplemented by vegetable oils, can create “a nutrition-rich, high-quality product,” the firm said.
"We rely on high-quality regional wheat-based raw materials for our fish alternatives. As a result, we can offer vegan, sustainable and pollutant-free alternatives to conventional fish. Our raw materials guarantee a high-quality end product and the best possible nutritional values, and are adaptable for manufacturers in many ways," Loryma Managing Director Henrik Hetzer said.
Photo courtesy of Planteneers
