Plant-based, mycoprotein & seaweed-derived seafood

Plant-based and next-gen seafood substitutes reconstruct the texture, nutrition and sensory profile of fish and shellfish from plant-protein isolates (pea, soy, fava bean), fermented mycoprotein and seaweed — entirely bypassing aquaculture and wild capture. Leading seaweed-blend products reach 8–10 grams of protein and over 6 grams of fibre per 100 grams while remaining soy- and wheat-free, mycoprotein fillets reach over 500 retail locations in a single chain, and a 2024 Vienna court ruling dismissed a labelling lawsuit against a plant-based fish brand, affirming naming rights. The 2026 market consolidates around cross-Atlantic deals — Bayou Best Foods acquiring Berlin’s BettaF!sh (Wunderfish) to unite US plant-based shrimp with European tuna and salmon lines — and around scale-up rounds such as Oshi’s 3 million dollar raise, with substitute seafood already sold across eight European countries and used by Pizza Hut, L’Osteria, Aramark, Deutsche Bahn and Japan Airlines. This article is scoped to the plant-based, mycoprotein and seaweed-derived route; cell-cultured seafood is covered in cultured-seafood, marine peptides and collagen in marine-peptides-nutraceuticals, and microalgal protein in microalgae-aquaculture.

The key directions of plant-based and next-gen seafood are:

1. Whole-cut plant-based fillets (Whole-Cut Fillets): Oshi’s modular layering of plant proteins and fats recreates the flaky structure of salmon and whitefish fillets, moving the category beyond minced and reformed formats toward genuine whole cuts.
2. Mycoprotein 3D-structured seafood (3D-Structured Mycoprotein): Revo Foods’ proprietary 3D Structuring precisely combines fermented-mycelium mycoprotein, fats and micronutrients into fibrous, layer-rich filets at industrial scale, at the TASTE FACTORY in Vienna.
3. Seaweed-blend canned substitutes (Seaweed-Blend Canned Seafood): BettaF!sh TU-NAH and SAL-NOM combine seaweed with pea and fava bean proteins to mimic canned tuna and smoked salmon, drawing omega-3 from the seaweed fraction.
4. Pea-protein retort seafood (Pea-Protein Retort Products): Sophie’s Kitchen Vegan Toona uses pea-protein texturing to replicate the flake and shred of canned tuna, distributed through US retail alongside calamari, shrimp and scallop lines.

Sectoral value chain#

[Plant isolates / mycoprotein / seaweed] ──> [Formulation & hydration] ──> [Extrusion / 3D structuring] ──> [Cooking / retort / chilling]
                                                          │
                                              (texture & fibre alignment)
                                                          ▼
[Packaged seafood substitutes] <─── [Quality & sensory QC] <─────────────┘

Value chain levels#

Cross-cutting technologies of the sector:

• Modular layering and 3D Structuring (3D Food Structuring): precision deposition of alternating protein and fat layers recreates whole-cut flakiness and anisotropic fibre that simple extrusion cannot achieve.
• Seaweed lipid integration (Seaweed Lipid Blending): seaweed supplies both the ocean flavour profile and the omega-3 (EPA/DHA) fraction, replacing fish oil entirely.
• Plant-protein texturing (Plant-Protein Texturing): high-moisture extrusion and shear align pea, soy and fava proteins into meat-like fibres under controlled thermal and mechanical input.

Plant-based seafood production rests on precision structuring (extrusion or 3D deposition), seaweed-driven flavour and lipid design, and plant-protein texturing that together recreate the anisotropic fibre of fish muscle.

1. 3D Structuring and multi-material deposition (3D Food Structuring):
   • Revo Foods combines mycoprotein, fats and micronutrients in precise layer configurations under mild low-temperature, low-pressure conditions to recreate fibrous whole cuts while preserving heat-sensitive micronutrients that high-temperature extrusion would destroy.
   • The TASTE FACTORY in Vienna scales this from a pilot craft to industrial throughput, reaching over 500 REWE Austria locations with THE FILET.
2. Modular protein-and-fat layering (Modular Layering):
   • Oshi assembles alternating plant-protein and lipid layers with specialised equipment to recreate seafood flakiness and an ocean-scent sensory profile.
   • The platform is engineered as a plug-and-play retrofit for existing food-production facilities, lowering the capital barrier to whole-cut production.
3. Seaweed-protein blending (Seaweed-Protein Blending):
   • BettaF!sh integrates seaweed with fava and pea proteins to supply both the ocean flavour profile and the omega-3 fraction without fish oil.
   • The blend delivers 8–10 grams of protein and over 6 grams of fibre per 100 grams in soy- and wheat-free formats suited to canned-tuna and smoked-salmon substitutes.