In yet another war against plant-based food labelling, Spain’s seafood industry has joined forces to denounce “fraud in the labelling and presentation of plant-based seafood products,” arguing that such practices confuse consumers.
The coalition, also joined by the association of wholesalers, importers, exporters, and processors of seafood products Conxemar, is calling on the Ministry of Consumer Affairs to review and immediately withdraw plant-based seafood products that use fish names on their labels seeking to “deceive consumers on the nutritional value of the products,” as reported by the media.
In addition, they argue that the products do not comply with “several” European and national regulations, including unfair competition practices, advertising of food products, and food safety and nutrition.
A recent USDA Spain Seafood Report 2023 says that Spain has Europe’s largest fish processing industry and one of the highest per capita consumption of fish and seafood products.
According to the UN, worldwide seafood production from commercial fisheries and aquaculture is insufficient to meet the growing demand. The organization projects a supply chain gap of 28 million metric tons by 2030. Additionally, overfishing, climate change and environmental contamination from microplastics and nuclear waste threaten the future of seafood.
Plant-based for the oceans
A shift to plant-based alternatives will be vital to help preserve ocean ecosystems. Fortunately, reports indicate that the plant-based seafood market is skyrocketing, expected to surge with a huge CAGR of 28% to be worth $1.3 billion by 2031.
“Science and data have shown us the importance of keeping marine ecosystems intact, and the best way to do so is to reduce human activity to the minimum,” said CEO and co-founder Marc Coloma at the launch of a new line of plant-based fish products.
“The seas have protected us from the biggest impact of global warming. Now is the time for us to protect the seas,” said the founders of Seasogood when launching its vegan tuna in Spain.
