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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

Legendary Vish

Legendary Vish Rebrands to Revo Foods, Plans to Host Tasting for 3D Printed Salmon Soon

When I last spoke to Robin Simsa, the CEO of Legendary Vish, the company was working on a prototype of a 3D printed plant-based salmon fillet. Now, the company has rebranded to Revo Foods, plans on launching three new products, and will host a tasting in March.

To hear about the details of Revo Foods’ recent news, I hopped on a Zoom call with Simsa this week. Simsa said the company rebranded to Revo Foods so they were not tied down to just producing fish alternative products. The company has now decided to prioritize other plant-based salmon products and one tuna product. Revo Foods wanted to focus first on products that could be consumed cold with no prep, but will still be working on the salmon fillet on the side.

The two products that will be launched by the company are plant-based smoked salmon strips and a smoked salmon spread. The main ingredients in these products include pea protein, citrus fiber, and algae oil, and 3D printing will not be used to create these products. Revo Foods will apply 3D printing techniques for the creation of its salmon sashimi, which uses similar ingredients to the previously mentioned products. The company has plans to work on a tuna product as well, but details are not made available yet.

As far as we know, Revo foods is the only company combining plant-based ingredients and 3D printing to produce alternative salmon products. US-based Sophie’s Kitchen produces smoked salmon lox using konjac as the main ingredient. Hooked, a Swedish start-up produces a shredded plant-based tuna. Other plant-based seafood companies like Good Catch and New Wave are focused on providing alternatives for other seafood species, like tuna and shrimp.

The plant-based salmon products from Revo Foods will be ready to launch around the summer of this year, and the company has partnered with several restaurants throughout Vienna, Austria for the launch. Revo Foods will be hosting a tasting of its plant-based salmon products on March 6 in Vienna.

Legendary Vish Creates Plant-based Salmon through 3D Bioprinting

To create a more sustainable seafood option, three Ph.D. students decided to apply their experience in 3D bioprinting. The result is the Austrian startup Legendary Vish, which uses plant-based ingredients and 3D bioprinting to re-create a realistic salmon fillet.

I spoke to Robin Simsa, the CEO of Legendary Vish this week. He said a benefit to bioprinting salmon is that it offers an alternative to aquaculture and wild salmon. Fish that are raised in aquaculture farms are often fed antibiotics and are at risk for contaminating wild fish with parasites/pathogens, and wild salmon can contain microplastics and heavy metals. Additionally, salmon is susceptible to overfishing since it is a popular seafood and often touted as a “health food.” Legendary Vish’s 3D printed plant-based salmon fillet is free of these toxins and contaminants, and void of potential environmental concerns.

The plant-based salmon fillet looks shockingly real, with a convincing red-orange color and white stripes of fat. When asked if the salmon fillet truly tasted like salmon, he said the flavor and aroma are very accurate. However, they are working on developing an improved “mouth feel” for the product, in hopes of making it a firmer texture. The salmon will contain nutrients and health benefits similar to real salmon, like protein and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Legendary Vish’s salmon is a unique seafood alternative because it is crafted from mushroom protein and algae. Other companies re-creating fish like Shiok, BlueNalu, and Wild Type use cell-based technology to create seafood alternatives. In the world of 3D printing, Redefine Meat and Novameat create plant-based beef and pork alternatives. 

Legendary Vish has not yet received outside capital, but is currently speaking with investors. The company’s goal is to release their bioprinted salmon to the European market by 2022, first focusing on Scandinavian countries, and then turning to larger cities within Europe. Next year, they may begin testing the salmon in certain markets on a small scale.