Due to unsustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, there is a rising demand for mock seafood options that are better for the environment.

Some firms, such as Singapore’s Shiok Meats, want to launch shrimp meat based on cells grown in a lab.

But a team from the National University of Singapore is taking a different approach by creating an entirely plant-based alternative.

“I think it’s imminent that the seafood supply could be very limited in the future,” said graduate student Poornima Vijayan, presenting the work at a meeting of the American Chemical Society. “We need to be prepared from an alternative protein point of view, especially here in Singapore, where over 90 per cent of the fish is imported.”

It has proved difficult to mimic the flavour of seafood from plants and achieve the same nutritional content and textures.

...