10 February 2023 , 13:28
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The hardest part about going plant based is finding alternatives for foods you really love. While Quorn nuggets might replace chicken ones, other alternatives are harder to find.
Plant-based diets are becoming increasingly popular as the market works to improve veggie offerings, with more and more brands moving away from bean burgers in favour of meat imitations.
Fish has been a tough one to mimic, with most companies perfecting their meat alternatives first or opting for fish fingers alternatives.
There are a few fake salmon fillets on the market already but a new plant-based salmon alternative that apparently looks, cooks, and tastes like the real thing could be on the way.
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The plant-based salmon flakes like real fish and cooks the same (New School Foods)This salmon alternative was created in Toronto, Canada, and looks near-identical to real fish. Interestingly, it's all down to the science behind it.
New School Foods website reads: "We've recreated the structure of a salmon filet, including aligned muscle fibers, connective tissue, fats, and other components thanks to our proprietary muscle fiber & scaffolding technologies."
Looks aren't everything as the salmon alternative is also" high in protein, and matches the same level of Omega 3's found in wild salmon".
Rather than being prepared for consumers and pre-cooked, the fillet is raw and visibly cooks and crisps up like real fish.
Overfishing has become a major environmental issue, with populations of both flora and fauna declining at a concerning rate, as well as nets and other apparatus damaging the sea floor.
In 2021, The Guardian reported that salmon farming was "wreaking ruin on marine ecosystems" due to major sea lice infestations.
Natasha Hurley, campaigns manager at the Changing Markets Foundation, told the publication: "Moving away from using wild caught fish in food would make salmon farming more sustainable, as it is having a huge impact on wild fish."
Lab created salmon could ease the strain on marine life by opening doors to wider variety of fish replacements, minimising the need for industrial fishing practices and overfishing.
The salmon alternative is not yet on the market and will be launched in North America later this year but only in participating restaurants, so it could be some time before we see it on UK shelves.
Until then, there are some smoked salmon slices on the market as well as a salmon fillet from vegan brands Vivera and Sainsbury's Plant Pioneers, which are also fortified with omega-3.
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Omega-3 fats are great for heart and brain health as well as reducing inflammation and helping regulate blood clotting.