The growing rise of a fish-free alternative on supermarket shelves has been described as a slap in the face for the Australian seafood industry.
The industry is up in arms over a plant-based tuna substitute marketed at vegans and vegetarians, which has been slammed by critics as false and misleading advertising.
Produced by Atlantic Natural Foods, Tuno is sold in cans similar to regular tinned tuna and instead of fish, is made from water, soy flour, yeast extract, maltodextrin and salt.
On the company's website, Tuno is described as a delicious plant-based seafood alternative that tastes just like premium seafood with up to 20 per cent less sodium than comparable fish products.
Seafood Industry Australia chief executive Jane Lovell has called on the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission to investigate the product marketing further.
'Whether there is an intent to mislead or not, is irrelevant, if the overall branding creates a misleading impression than the behaviour is likely to breach the law,' she told the ABC.
'If people want to be vegans that's up to them. I don't think we have high moral ground on that point, but I think this is verging on false and misleading.'
Seafood Industry Australia's concerns were echoed by Vegans Australia, which called for more honesty and clearer labelling on 'alternative' food products .
'Consumers should be aware of what the product is that they're buying, and how much suffering went into it,' director Greg McFarlane said.
An Atlantic Natural Foods spokesman told the ABC the packaged states the product is a 'plant-based protein' in more than one location and was created for consumers wanting an alternative.
