New Wave Foods to Debut Plant-Based "Popcorn Shrimp"!
There are so many startups focused on alternatives to animal agriculture, that there are even those focused on specific products, such as vegan shrimp or gelatin. These startups are not only interesting for what they aim to create, but also for the methods they each use.
We featured a story on New Wave Foods last year, which is a San Francisco-based startup company that focuses on creating plant-based shrimp-free of environmental and human rights concerns, with the use of red algae and plant-based protein powder. At that time Jennifer Kaehms, CEO of New Wave Foods, had stated that although their lab-created shrimp was already a success in terms of taste, they were still working on getting the texture just right. She stated:
“I like to use the analogy of kneading bread. If you knead bread too long it becomes really firm and if you don’t knead it long enough, it can be too soft. So the way we mix it and align the protein gels gives it its texture.”
Now it seems the issue is resolved as the trio behind the startup are preparing to debut their “popcorn shrimp” in just eight months! The first product, according to The Atlantic, will be a “small shrimp that’s disguised in breading”, but the team will follow it up with shrimp that can be used on its own, in meals or even in cocktails.
With the demand for sustainable seafood growing, especially considering the 2012 study which found farmed shrimp to have 10 times the carbon footprint of beef, it seems The Atlantic is correct in stating that “the odds are good for New Wave”.
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