IFF makes waves with SimpliiGood to scale up smoked salmon from spirulina

26 Apr 2022 --- IFF is joining forces with Israeli food-tech start-up SimpliiGood by Algaecore Technologies LTD to develop the first commercial smoked salmon analog made entirely from just a single ingredient - whole fresh spirulina.

Forecast to hit the market by the end of 2023, the product is predicted to disrupt as a planet-friendly fish substitute for smoked salmon.

“The alternative fish market has the potential to be one of the biggest environmental impact drivers since humanity still heavily relies on wild catch, while aquaculture is considered very wasteful and energy-intensive,” Lior Shalev, CEO and co-founder of Algaecore, tells FoodIngredientsFirst.

“The salmon industry alone is estimated to cause over US$50 billion of environmental and collateral damage every year, and it is highly unstable and climate-sensitive.”

“Consumers are looking for fish alternatives that will not harm the ocean and the fish, will not include harmful elements and be kind to the planet. Those are exactly the solutions we are creating with our partners,” Shalev says. 

Shalev reveals that the new salmon-like creation is based on two IP-protected technological breakthroughs developed by the algae innovators.

The first applies to its texturization platform for forming salmon-like chunks solely from spirulina with the same mouthfeel as the animal form. Its orange, salmon-like hue has been expressed by identifying and isolating the native beta carotene pigment naturally present in spirulina. 

Lior Shalev, CEO and co-founder of AlgaecoreAlgae-based product
SimpliiGood provides the raw material, texture, and color qualities, while IFF contributes the flavor and aroma attributes. 

Shalev explains how the company’s technologies are based on two pillars. “First, a process that enables the decolorization of spirulina and creation of animal-tissue-like color range, which can extend from white fish shades through salmon pink all the way to blu-fin tuna red,” he says.

“Secondly,  a unique process that enables the polymerization of spirulina cells into macro fiber structures that resemble soft tissue fibers - the integration of which enables the creation of spirulina-based tissues with a highly similar look and feel to actual animal tissues. The result is a nutritious, better-for-you, sustainable and climatically resilient product.”

Mimicking texture and taste of smoked salmonThe SimpliiGood farm where spirulina grows.
The spirulina is grown in the naturally sun-drenched southern desert region of Israel under controlled conditions. It can be harvested every 24 hours, making it a highly commercially viable plant-based protein source.

The plant-based salmon-like cut is crafted to take on smoked salmon’s appearance, color, texture, and flavor, yet without the ocean pollutants that living fish are commonly exposed to. 

These pollutants include compounds such as mercury, fossil fuels, and industrial waste. It is 100% pure, fresh, minimally processed spirulina; it is a clean-label product and 40% complete protein.

The company produces 50 tons of spirulina per year, with a harvest every 24 hours, making it a highly commercially viable plant-based protein source.

The spirulina market is relatively young and is dominated by dried and powdered forms of the ingredient. SimpliiGood cultivates and markets a specific strain of 100% raw fresh spirulina that boast 90% bioavailability, making it a powerful addition to any food application.Fish analogs of the future
“The texture, sensory attributes and nutritional values of the fish meat make it much more challenging to mimic the “whole package” experience with existing plant-based sources,” Shalev continues.

“Spirulina seems to be the perfect cell platform to mimic fish without actually growing one. In terms of sustainability, our technology is ideal - we convert solar energy, atmospheric carbon, elements, salts and water directly into spirulina.”

“In addition, the fish market is very diverse in terms of product types and qualities, which opens a huge opportunity for a dynamic platform technology such as ours. We can help create any type of product in any type of category, from smoked and deli cuts to canned and processed fish and everything in between. We grow, cultivate, produce a whole cut fish from farm to fork,” he adds.

Developing sustainable protein substitutes
To advance this initiative, an agreement for strategic cooperation was signed between the Israeli Innovation Authority, SimpliiGood, and FoodNxt, the innovation lab established by IFF. 

The new salmon analog will join a series of existing spirulina-based SimpliiGood branded products marketed in Israel to food producers and directly to consumers. 

Its current portfolio encompasses a range of meat substitutes, including hamburgers and chicken nuggets, as well as popsicles, ice cream, crackers, and beverages where spirulina serves either as the base ingredient or as nutritional enrichment.

“The strain that the animal food industry places on the environment and food security has elevated the need to develop sustainable protein substitutes. We are excited to collaborate with these leading global food industry players to bring a tasty and highly nutritious product to consumers worldwide, without harming animals and the planet.” Shalev says.

“We estimate the first products will hit the shelves by the end of 2023/ beginning of 2024. We expect the category of alternative fish to be the main growth engine of the company for the following years to come. We intend to expand our sales mainly in Europe and the US markets, which are ripe for this 100% clean, plant-based product,” he concludes.

By Gaynor Selby