100% vegetable, rich in proteins and based on algae: under the name “BettaF! Sh TU-NAH”, German discounters ALDI Nord and ALDI SÜD are bringing sandwiches with vegan tuna substitutes to the snack shelf at the end of October. Behind this is the startup “BettaF! Sh”, which ALDI supported as part of the “TechFounders” accelerator funding program.

Tuna is one of the most widely consumed fish species in the world. As a result, many stocks are now endangered. The two founders Deniz Ficicioglu and Jacob von Manteuffel have therefore been looking for sustainable fish alternatives with their start-up “BettaF! Sh” for many years. Now they are bringing sandwiches with a purely vegetable-based tuna substitute onto the market exclusively at ALDI under the name “BettaF! Sh TU-NAH”. The sandwiches are available from October 25th. (ALDI North) or October 29th. (ALDI SÜD) available as a promotional item for 2.49 euros in the flavors “Classic”, “Sweet Chili” and “Sweet Corn + Pepper”.

From the idea to the finished product

As part of the TechFounders program, ALDI supported the young founders in further developing their product – from contact with production partners to packaging. And the product itself has also been continuously optimized together with the experts from ALDI: The tuna substitute is made from European organic seaweed that can be cultivated in the open sea without fresh water, arable land or fertilizer. In addition, natural vegetable extracts such as beetroot and paprika are used as well as proteins from the organic field bean (fava bean), which is economical in water consumption. “With the establishment of seaweed in our food culture, we want to increase the demand for this unique seafood and, in the long term, build a sustainable and regenerative alternative to fishing across Europe”, says the founder Deniz Ficicioglu of wunderfish. Dr. Nora Verfürth, Director Corporate Responsibility at ALDI Nord, is enthusiastic about the result: “We are delighted that we were able to support the startup with our know-how in bringing its product to market – the result speaks for itself.”

Supplement to the vegan product range

With around 400 product types marked as vegan *, ALDI Nord and ALDI SÜD offer a wide range throughout the year – for vegans and everyone who wants to reduce their consumption of animal products. “With the“ BettaF! Sh TU-NAH ”sandwich, a product comes to us with which we want to offer our customers even more variety in our vegan product selection. Vegan fish substitute is an interesting addition to the purely plant-based diet and is therefore currently on the advance, ”said Dr. Julia Adou, Director Corporate Responsibility at ALDI SÜD. In 2020, ALDI received the Vegan Food Award in the category “Vegan-friendliest supermarket” from the animal rights organization PETA for its extensive range.

Startup funding at ALDI

Under their own brand “WHAT’S NEXT”, ALDI Nord and ALDI SÜD regularly bring innovative products from startups onto the market. This is intended to make it easier for young founders to enter the food retail sector and to expand collaboration with startups. As part of the startup funding with the TechFounders accelerator, ALDI supports sustainable ideas from young founders – from the first idea to implementation.