Vgarden, Ltd., a foodTech developer and manufacturer of plant-based alternatives, has launched a vegan canned tuna. 

The 100% plant-derived product has the same appearance, texture, and flavour of the canned kitchen staple. 

The plant-based tuna is crafted to satisfy the appetites of the growing pool of sustainability-driven consumers by bringing to the table its creative response to the issue of the overfished and rapidly declining ocean populations of wild tuna.

“Tinned tuna has a very distinct flaky, yet moist and chewy texture, with a powerful fresh-from-the sea aroma,” explains Ilan Adut, CEO of Vgarden. 

“Our new tuna-like product is clean-label, scalable, affordable, and sustainable. But for our plant-based creation to serve as a true substitute, even beyond compellingly mimicking all of the sensory qualities, it also has to match tuna as much as possible in nutritional value.”

Following 12 months of experimentation with ingredients and processes, the start-up developed its winning plant-based tuna formula. The private-label product is already being rolled out in the retail and food service sectors. It is available in two packaging formats: pouches for chilled storage and actual cans to give the full authentic tuna experience and to facilitate convenient non-chilled storage. 

Vgarden’s R&D mission was to develop a tuna that can be tinned and sterilised at high temperatures, yet still retain its full flavour and texture. The company has filed a patent for the formula and process.