“Triton Algae Innovations, a startup leveraging freshwater algae species, is preparing to launch its plant-based algae ingredients and its first retail product – a tuna analogue – to show consumers the potential of the underwater crop in alternative proteins. The single-celled algae species that Triton uses, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, can express plant proteins, and the startup has managed to produce it in a scalable, cost-efficient heterotrophic process.
Triton, founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the UC San Diego, says it will soon be launching its algae B2B platform and will also launch a commercial product – plant-based tuna – to demonstrate the alternative protein possibilities of algae. Speaking to FoodNavigator, the startup revealed that the vegan tuna alternative will be trialed in retail channels, but “discussions are also underway over potential foodservice pathways…”