The pressure is mounting for the public to transition towards living more sustainable lives. Luckily, innovation within eco-friendly research and development (R&D) is making this transition easier.
A recent study found that the global production of food is responsible for a third of all greenhouse gases emitted by human activity, with the consumption of animal products generating twice the pollution of producing plant-based foods.
Plant-based meat substitutes have already hugely advanced since becoming more sought after, with many products now difficult to distinguish from the real thing.
On the other hand, the market for seafood-alternatives remains undersaturated. That’s why we want to showcase Seabloom; an incredible brand that produces 100% plant-based seafood with all the nutritional benefits of fish, and none of the ocean damage.
In this piece, we’ll be looking at Seabloom’s marine-friendly products, and why their mission is so important.
The problem with fishing
The bottom line is that for all its taste and health benefits, eating commercially caught fish is no longer sustainable. We must acknowledge and face up to the detrimental effects that industrial-scale fishing has on our oceans and marine life.
The impact of global warming to land-dwellers, such as extreme storms and wildfires, are easier to recognise, but the devastation happening underwater is proving difficult to instil in the public.
Journalist and author George Monbiot urges that in the sea, life is collapsing even faster than on land. And “the main cause, the UN biodiversity report makes clear, is not plastic. It is not pollution, not climate breakdown, not even the acidification of the ocean. It is fishing.”
Without our oceans and their precious ecosystems, reports suggest that carbon in the atmosphere could increase by an alarming (and frankly, fatal) 50%.
The solution: Seabloom’s plant-based seafood alternative
Whilst visiting South Africa, Seabloom Founder & CEO, Greta Desforges-Hodgson, fell in love with the majestic whales circling the Cape of Good Hope. But in the same eyeline, the presence of industrial fishing vessels robbing the seas of this abundant life unsettled her.
Greta couldn’t shake the feeling that this must be stopped.
Greta and her team found that there were mass kelp forests growing under the water. And better yet, this seaweed was rich in vital nutrients.
Seaweed soon became Greta’s golden ticket to making food that looked and tasted just as good as the seafood we are used to, with all the same health benefits.
Seabloom’s product range is made in Europe from plant protein and organic, sustainable seaweed harvested from the Celtic Seas. Seabloom currently offers ‘tuna-free’ flakes in three different flavours to accompany a variety of dishes, from pastas and sandwiches to salads and tacos:
· Naked ‘Tuna Free’ Flakes – the original, a subtle taste of the sea.
· Lemon ‘Tuna Free’ Flakes – fresh, zingy, delicious.
· Olive ‘Tuna Free’ Flakes – offering sunny, savoury flavours of the Med.
In case you didn’t know – humans have been eating seaweed long before we started eating fish, and the goodness we get from fish actually comes from the algae they eat!
What’s more, kelp is extremely fast-growing, and does little damage to the environment when farmed.
That’s why Seabloom products are good for you, and good for the planet.
Let’s take a closer look at the nutritional benefits on offer. Seabloom’s products are:
· Vegan & vegetarian
· 100% natural ingredients
· Source of protein
· Source of iodine
· High in Omega 3
· High in essential minerals
· Gluten free
· Soy free
· Mercury free
Small changes lead to big differences
We’re lucky to have products like Seabloom on the market, allowing us to live more sustainably without making any real sacrifices.
It’s fantastic that the public is taking note of this easy switch, with the UK now providing Europe’s largest market for plant-based foods, and 1 in 4 people now actively cutting back on animal products.
The plant-based sector is one of the fastest-growing food categories, estimated to reach $80 billion of sales worldwide by 2024.
At this year’s Plant Based World Expo Europe, Seabloom’s 'Tuna Free' Flakes won 'Best Faux Fish / Seafood Product' – and this is only the beginning of their journey.
You’re bound to see Seabloom products appear on your supermarket shelves in the near future, but for now, they’re available in some universities, independent coffee shops and healthcare facilities.
R&D Tax Credits support food innovation
Because of its transformation and rapid growth, the food industry is rich in research and development (R&D).
Research and development projects are incentivised by the UK government through a tax relief system known as R&D Tax Credits – which allow founders to reclaim up to 33% of eligible spending.
This capital is a valuable way to reinvest into innovation that disrupts the status-quo, and incites real, positive change, especially in sustainability.
Many research & development projects within the food industry don’t know that they’re entitled to claiming a huge chunk of their spending back. Our specialists at Claim Capital want to change that!
With years of experience in filing lucrative claims across all industries, Claim Capital’s experts are well-versed in assessing the scope and size of your eligibility. Plus, we operate a fixed fee, guaranteed to save you thousands.