Plant Based Seafood
Could plant-based seafood be the next big vegan trend?
The seafood industry has been following the trend toward vegan alternatives. Having seen that plant based alternatives to meat are growing in popularity, now vegan seafood products – that is to say products that look and taste like seafood are hitting the market.
The health benefits of a plant-based seafood diet are clear.
What is plant based seafood made of?
Plant-based seafood can be found in the form of tuna, salmon, caviar, scallops, squid, crab and shrimp – all these products have already entered the market. The most common ingredients in these products are soy, seaweed, yeast, legumes and various vegetable oils and starches.
Can you be vegan and still eat seafood?
Yes – the seafood industry has responded to the global market for vegan and vegetarian dishes by developing plant based seafood options. There are available both fish and shellfish plant based products that allows you to maintain a plant based seafood diet. There are many available plant based seafood recipes now available to allow you to prepare delicious and healthy vegan dishes.
The World Sustainability Organization and The Good Food Institute Sustainable Seafood Initiative have initiated a joint certification program for plant-based seafood.
The certification will be part of the WSO’s Friend of the Sea certification program, under a new “Golden Standard.” The Friend of the Sea Golden Standard will help plant-based seafood companies certify their products according to sustainable certification criteria of the WSO’s Friend of the Earth agriculture standards.
Plant-based meat products will receive a comparable Golden Certification from Friend of the Earth.
The Standard for vegan seafood products
Our standard, which is applicable for these products, is based on SAFA (Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture systems) guidelines set by UN-FAO. Intensive agriculture practices contribute to the loss of agricultural and natural biodiversity, degrading ecosystems and causing a reduction in animal and plant species. Such activities are also resulting in increased greenhouse gas emissions.
The Friend of the Sea Golden Standard for plant-based seafood will assure consumers that products have been made by adopting sustainable practices without harming the environment. To obtain the certification, companies must meet the following requirements:
To obtain the certification, companies must meet the following requirements:
- A well organised environmental management procedure
- A system to protect the ecosystem, with implementation of areas dedicated to the conservation of wild flora and fauna
- The reduction in the use of chemically synthetic substances according to the principles of organic or integrated agriculture
- Biological control, the rational use of water resources
- Minimization of mechanical operations on the ground and its compaction
- The use of energy from renewable resources
- List ItemsControl of gas emissions, greenhouse effect and the implementation of the systems to reduce them
- Social responsibility
Would you like to receive a quotation for Friend of the Sea audit and royalties to use our logo?
Please fill out the online Preliminary information Form (PIF)
- All the information will be kept strictly confidential and implies NO commitment from your company.
- The Friend of the Sea certification is voluntary and NOT mandatory to gain access to markets.
- The application process is NOT discriminatory on size, scale, management and minimum number of operators.
- Friend of the Sea is a NGO and it strives to make participation in the audits affordable for all companies.
- Please, contact us for more information on Government funding which might be available in your Country for sustainability certifications: info@friendofthesea.org
