Aqua Cultured Foods holds first industry-wide alt-seafood tasting in taste lab at Future Food-Tech San Francisco

Food-tech startup Aqua Cultured Foods, which will be a part of a feature on alternative seafood in the April/May 2023 edition of Protein Production Technology International, has announced it will host a Taste Lab at Future Food-Tech San Francisco, held March 16-17, 2023 at the Marriott Marquis. The event will be the company’s first large-scale tasting event for members of the food industry in preparation for public availability later this year.

Taste Lab events allow conference attendees to try novel foods for the first time and meet company founders. Aqua will offer various preparations of its tuna, ground shrimp and scallop derived from microbial fermentation.

“Future Food-Tech is the ideal venue for us to showcase the results of nearly two years of R&D, scale-up and collaborative work with chef and foodservice partners,” said Aqua CEO Anne Palermo. “The food-tech industry already considers us a leader in alt-seafood, and this Taste Lab presentation is our opportunity to validate that reputation.”

Aqua is developing a range of alt-seafood such as calamari, shrimp, scallops, and filets of tuna and whitefish from novel fermentation processes. A unique strain of microorganism transforms plant-based ingredients into “seafood” with a realistic taste, texture, and appearance that can be used as a one-to-one replacement for animal seafood. The company is also producing minced fillings for applications such as dumplings, ravioli, and sushi rolls.

Aqua’s calamari, shrimp, scallops, and filets of tuna and whitefish are created from fermentation processes that do not use any animal inputs, genetic altering or modification. Unlike plant-based processed foods formulated with starches and protein isolates, Aqua’s alt-seafood retains its naturally occurring fiber, protein, and other micronutrients.