International food conglomerate IFF is teaming up with Israeli foodTech start-up SimpliiGood by Algaecore Technologies LTD. to develop the first commercial smoked salmon analog made entirely from a single ingredient: whole fresh spirulina. The company is climate protection-oriented, growing its spirulina in the desert under controlled, ideal conditions.
The plant-based salmon-like cut is uniquely crafted to take on the appearance, color, texture, and flavor of smoked salmon, yet without the ocean pollutants that living fish are commonly exposed to. These include compounds such as mercury, fossil fuels, and industrial waste. Composed of 100% pure, fresh, minimally processed spirulina, it is a clean-label product and is 40% complete protein.
To advance this initiative, an agreement for strategic cooperation was signed between the Israeli Innovation Authority, SimpliiGood, and FoodNxt—the innovation lab established by global food, beverage, nutraceutical, and fragrances industry leader IFF. SimpliiGood provides the raw material and texture and color qualities, while IFF contributes the flavor and aroma attributes. The product is expected to hit the market by the end of 2023. In 2020, the global sales value of salmon amounted to approximately 13 billion euros.
SimpliiGood specializes in cultivating and harvesting the highly esteemed fresh blue-green algae, as well as producing a range of spirulina-centered food products. 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.
“Our spirulina can act as a complete replacement for animal-based protein or be easily integrated into existing food products as an added-value ingredient, as it has a neutral flavor and maintains its full nutritional value,” says Lior Shalev, CEO and Co-founder of Algaecore. “This project marks an exciting milestone in our company’s product line expansion as we enter the fish substitute market.” In the first phase, the company will focus on producing a pure, spirulina-based smoked salmon analog, with plans to expand to additional fish analogs in the future.
