Aqua Cultured Foods
Food tech start-up Aqua Cultured Foods has developed “calamari fries,” as its first commercial product from novel microbial fermentation technology. The product yields mycoprotein (fungus protein) with a realistic appearance, taste, and texture with high nutritional value. The proprietary method delivers a whole-muscle cut, sushi-quality seafood alternative.
In addition to calamari, Aqua Cultured Foods develops shrimp, scallops and filets of animal-free tuna and whitefish.
“We’re moving on an accelerated timeline from the R&D stage to commercialization, and now our focus will be scale-up, strategic alliances, and go-to-market partners such as restaurant chains,” says Aqua Cultured Food, CEO Anne Palermo.
“Hitting this milestone ahead of schedule is an achievement for the alt-seafood and alt-protein sectors, as well as for us as a company,” she says.
In November 2021, the company signed a Proof of Concept (POC) with Migros, Switzerland’s largest retailer, to develop its seafood alternatives with an authentic taste and texture.
The collaboration included assessing Swiss consumer acceptance of Aqua’s fermentation-derived seafood alternatives and exploring new business opportunities in Switzerland.
