Good Catch hopes consumers will bite as it launches plant-based tuna at national retailers | Food Dive

 

BRIEF

Good Catch hopes consumers will bite as it launches plant-based tuna at national retailers

AUTHOR

Cathy Siegner

PUBLISHED

Feb. 21, 2019

Dive Brief:

Plant-based tuna from Good Catch Foods will be available this week at Whole Foods Market and Thrive Market outlets nationwide, the company announced. The two retailers will be the first to carry the shelf-stable product.

The New York-based startup said in its statement it is aiming both to appeal to consumers and protect ocean fisheries with its new product. Nearly 90% of the world’s marine fish stocks are either overexploited or depleted, Good Catch said, adding that scientists predict global fisheries may totally collapse by 2048.

Plant-based tuna avoids the high mercury levels, PCBs, dioxins and other contaminants found in ocean-based fish. It also avoids the diseases and other problems presented by factory fish farming and aquaculture, the company said.

Dive Insight:

Tuna was undoubtedly a deliberate choice for this new plant-based product since it’s one of the most popular — and overfished — species in the world, according to Forbes.

Good Catch’s mission is to disrupt the seafood category with products consumers want without any of the negatives. Company officials claim it is the first plant-based brand that truly rivals real fish. The ready-to-eat products deliver the flavor and flaky texture of chunk albacore tuna, the company says, and are available in three varieties in 3.3-ounce pouches — Naked in Water, Mediterranean and Oil & Herbs.

To make its faux tuna, Good Catch uses a six-plant protein blend made from pea protein isolate, soy protein isolate, chickpea flour, lentil protein, faba protein and navy bean flour. Each serving contains 14 grams of protein, which is about 30% less than real tuna. The new products also contain algal oil for flavor and to provide a plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids.

Consumers may be more willing to try this plant-based product when they find out it doesn’t smell like the real tuna they’re used to. Good Catch examined why people like tuna and found it was the protein, taste and texture — but not how it smells, Chad Sarno, the company’s co-founder, executive chef and vice-president of culinary, told Forbes…

FINISH READING: Good Catch hopes consumers will bite as it launches plant-based tuna at national retailers | Food Dive

---

---

---

---

---