Heura Dives Into Vegan Fish: ‘This Is Just the Start’

Spanish vegan meat brand Heura has released a sustainable, plant-based fish range with the oceans’ health in mind.

Leading Europe’s plant-based meat category, Barcelona-based Heura is now diving into the plant-based fish category with the launch of vegan F’sh Fillet and F’sh Fingers. “This is just the start,” the company says, noting it will expand the fish alternative range.

Heura F’sh

Heura says the new products are both low in saturated fat and rich in plant-based protein. The products also boast 40 milligrams of Omega-3 fatty acids – comparable to conventional fish. Omega fats are critical for healthy brain function, skin, and joint health.

The products were in development for more than a year, Heura says. It claims to be the first company to conduct a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) for plant-based fish based on the ISO 14040 standard. According to the LCA, the climate impact of Heura’s vegan fish products are 70 percent lower than conventional fish.

“Science and data have shown us the importance of keeping marine ecosystems intact, and the best way to do so is to reduce human activity to the minimum,” Marc Coloma, Heura’s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. “As a mission-driven food-tech startup steeped in rich Mediterranean heritage, we recognized the need to introduce fish successors, so people across Europe can continue to enjoy the foods we love, while minimising the negative impact on the planet and animals.”

Heura points to the growing demand across Europe for plant-based alternatives to animal products. It says nearly half of European consumers are reducing their meat consumption as part of climate commitments.

“This reduction is a great step forward for the future of the earth and its inhabitants, since animal products account for 82 percent of the carbon emissions of European diets,” the company says.

But Heura says despite the growing awareness, much of the shift is happening with beef, pork, and chicken alternatives — a move it says “leaves global fish stocks to continue to plummet each year.”

The company points to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization data that show 70 percent of fish populations are already fully exploited or completely deleted.

‘Net positive food system’

“The launch of our 100 percent plant-based fish is our latest step towards Heura’s ambition of creating a net positive food system by accelerating the transition to plant-based protein and offering sought-after foods with a significantly lower CO₂ impact that enables a more just food system,” Coloma said.

In October, Heura announced it had secured €20 million in bridge funding to support its aggressive growth plan.

The two new products come on the heels of announcing expansion into the U.K., with placement at 200 Waitrose supermarkets, just ahead of Veganuary.

“Over the past year, Heura has grown its availability in the U.K. sixfold, and joining the shelves of Waitrose will further address the growing desire from British consumers to reduce their intake of animal meat products,” Coloma said.

“Throughout 2023, Heura will be focused on expanding its reach across Europe, to offer even more people meat successors – 100 percent plant-based foods that are superior from a nutrient-density and sustainability standpoint.”