Salmon Evolution or Plant-based Alternatives?

While the debate between land-based, offshore, and wild salmon farming is raging, a new approach is currently trending within the aquaculture industry: plant-based salmon substitutes.

Offshore farming carries high transportation costs and might still have sea lice problems, land-based production has high energy costs, and wild salmon has a very limited supply. And now, new Swedish research shows that the environmental impact of salmon production in Norway has been underestimated. The Swedish researchers found issues such as heavy metals and toxins from fishmeal, the use of pesticides to combat diseases, as well as farming conditions that can cause eutrophication (excessive richness of nutrients in the seabed, causing harmful algal blooms, dead zones, and fish death). Fishmeal now contains a much higher percentage of vegetable ingredients than it used to, which affects the level of Omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and vitamin D, making farmed salmon less nutritious. Although the transition towards plant-based feeding has led to lower dioxins (environmental pollutants), it still carries a risk that plant-based alternatives to salmon do not have. The positive health effect of eating oily fish like salmon may have outweighed the risk from dioxins, but the level of this substance is too low to be detectable in fish filets.

“Plantish”, an Irish startup, is on a mission to create bonelessly, whole-cut fish made entirely from plants. The company is committed to making the first alternative plant-based salmon that mimics the conventional COOKED salmon’s appearance, taste, texture, and nutrition of the actual fish. Meanwhile, a Toronto-based company called “New School Foods” intends to propose whole-cut salmon products that appear to be RAW, using freezing technology that makes uncooked plant-based salmon change color as they are cooked. Salmon substitutes already exist today, but significant innovation is coming to the market.

The plant-based topic is yet to cool down due to rising concerns about sustainability and the future of the seafood market. As people become more aware of the environmental impact of animal agriculture and aquaculture, plant-based diets are expected to become more and more common in the future. Although salmon scores better than meat alternatives in many environmental impact measurements, consumer trends indicate that salmon substitutes will take more significant market shares. Plant-based substitutes may also become very competitive in price.

Most people today clearly prefer real salmon. But as awareness of the environmental impact of the industry as well as the vegetarian and vegan trend grows further, this could change. After considering the industry's downside, would you still want to choose it?

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