“Americans eat more than 1 billion pounds of tuna every year,” states JINKA CEO and Founder Alberta Liao, as her line of vegan tuna spread launches in Whole Foods Market across the US. Vegan tuna products continue to gain traction as consumer awareness increases globally driving demand.
JINKA, a women-led start-up based in California, is producing 100% plant-based tuna to help combat environmental destruction in the oceans by reducing the amount of tuna killed and consumed each year. From a consumer health perspective, fish and fish products increasingly contain mercury, microplastics, and other contaminants, so plant-based seafood alternatives are emerging as a major food market.
“With the popularity of the Netflix documentary ‘Seaspiracy’ and continuing concern about the welfare of marine animals and ocean ecosystems, the time is right to offer choice when it comes to seafood”
As demand rises for tuna alternatives so too do the brands entering the market across the globe. Loma Linda has launched its plant-based TUNO in the US and UK, whereas Good Catch Tuna already has a food service agreement with Whole Foods Market in the US. In the Netherlands, both Schouten and Seasogood have launched tuna fish substitutes, and San Francisco startup Kuleana’s first product is a raw sashimi-style tuna. Hooked from Sweden produces both a tuna and a flaked salmon product, while Swiss good giant Nestlé has entered the market with its Vuna product.
“With the popularity of the Netflix documentary ‘Seaspiracy’ and continuing concern about the welfare of marine animals and ocean ecosystems, the time is right to offer choice when it comes to seafood,” said Alberta Liao, Founder and CEO of JINKA. “Americans eat more than 1 billion pounds of tuna every year, so converting even a fraction of those consumers to JINKA’s tasty, fish-free alternative can have an enormous impact on the health of our oceans and the animals that live in them.”