“Catch of Tomorrow”: TIME Magazine Declares Vegan Tuna One of the Best Inventions of 2021
The plant-based tuna that looks and tastes as good as the real thing is named as one of the key innovations set to change the way we live.
Credit: Kuleana,
TIME magazine has called vegan tuna, created by plant-based seafood company Kuleana, one of the best inventions of 2021 in their annual review of key innovations that are changing the world for the better.
TIME invited nominations for the 2021 list from its editors and correspondents around the world, as well as through an online application process. The nominations were then reviewed based on their originality, creativity, efficacy, ambition, and impact. In choosing Kuleana, TIME referenced the vegan tuna’s innovative ingredients, substantial health benefits, and its promising ability to alleviate reliance on industrial fishing.
“As a bold innovator in the space of alt-seafood, we’re honored to be included in TIME’s thoughtfully researched list, joining past awardees like Allbirds and Impossible,” said Jacek Prus, CEO and co-founder of Kuleana, along with food technologist and co-founder Sònia Hurtado. “We are on a mission to sustainably and satisfyingly feed the world’s next billion. This coming year, we will continue to grow the channels through which consumers can access plant-based seafood. We are only as successful in our mission as we are in getting Kuleana Tuna onto plates and into fridges across the world.”
Around 2.7 billion wild fish are killed every single day and this huge rate of ecosystem destruction is having far-reaching repercussions for wildlife and the oceans, from dead zones to species extinction. The industry is also responsible for the suffering and slaughter of trillions of sentient animals. That’s where Kuleana steps in - to create plant-based seafood that looks and tastes like the real thing, but with a fraction of the environmental footprint and without causing any animals to suffer.
Kuleana debuted its vegan tuna earlier this year, and it has since been adopted by grocers and restaurants including Erewhon Markets and Blue Sushi Sake Grill. The product has the same nutritional value of omega-3 DHA, iron, and vitamin B12 as the animal-based version, all while ditching the mercury, microplastics, and high cholesterol, according to Kuleana.
Made from algae, koji (a fungus that grows in East Asia), radish, bamboo, and potato, the plant-based, sushi-grade, ready-to-eat tuna can replace its traditional counterpart in sushi, nigiri, carpaccio, poke, or ceviche.
TIME’s special mentions include UPSIDE Chicken (cell-based chicken made by California-based UPSIDE Foods) and vegan honey from MeliBio (which uses proprietary technology to create real honey without exploiting bees).
Consumers can look forward to more plant-based seafood options coming to eateries and restaurants in the future too, as demand for the fish-free seafood market is expected to soar. Back in 2019, only 29 companies worldwide offered alternative seafood products compared to the 87 companies reported in June 2021, according to a report on the plant-based seafood industry conducted by The Good Food Institute.
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