Swedish Company Develops ‘First-Ever’ Plant-Based Shredded Salmon

We've seen companies like Good Catch Foods and Sophie's Kitchen perfect plant-based tuna and crab cakes but what about shredded salmon? A Swedish startup company, Hooked, has come out to do what no other plant-based seafood company has with the first plant-based shredded salmon.

The shredded salmon is soy-based and according to the company is intended to be the "hero product." The development is still underway, but their first product to hit the European market will be a plant-based tuna.

The idea of mimicking seafood may seem impossible, but the tuna and salmon products utilize vegetables like carrots and smoked ingredients to match the color and taste of the real thing. Both products are meant to be enjoyed in pasta dishes, pizza, wraps, salads and bowls.

The main goal for Hooked was to not only resemble the taste of seafood but also make sure the products stand up nutritionally to the real thing. Peter Liu, Chief Technical Officer of Hooked, told Food Navigator, “We want to mimic the real nutritional value of [conventional seafood]. Most of the plant-based meat that you see on the market…may have good texture and taste, but the nutrition is not there. So we want to make our product as healthy and as nutritious as possible.” ​

Emil Wasteson and Tom Johansson are the brilliant minds behind Hooked. The company came to be when Johansson’s sister started eating vegan and realized there were no plant-based seafood products that were both tasty and provided the same nutrition value as the animal protein. "There existed very few products and none that tasted good, or had the same nutritional value as traditional seafood,” ​Johansson recalled.

Wasteson and Johansson learned everything they could about the seafood industry and realized how harmful it was for the environment. “It became obvious that the current seafood industry is environmentally unsustainable, and that seafood consists of more toxins than ever before,"​ said Johansson.

For the moment, Hooked intends to launch and remain in Europe. Salmon and tuna are the most consumed seafood in Europe, and European markets have a huge hole in the plant-based seafood sector. Vegan seafood alternatives are hard to come by, which leaves room for Hooked to swoop right in and become a customer favorite. The products that do exist lack flavor or nutritional value and are expensive.

Hooked intends to change up plant-based seafood and make it healthier than ever without compromising taste. Salmon and tuna aren't the only products the company has in store: In the works are plant-based calamari and shrimp. Our fingers are crossed that Hooked will one day reach the U.S.

If reading about all this plant-based seafood got you in the mood to try it out, check out our recipe for Vegan Sushi Stack and Crab Cakes.