Revo Foods Relaunches Vegan Octopus Permanently Due To 'Overwhelming Demand'

Revo Foods has announced that it is permanently relaunching “THE KRAKEN,” its world-first vegan octopus tentacle, in response to “overwhelming demand” from its customers.

The Austrian food tech startup introduced THE KRAKEN in April last year, a 3D-printed alternative protein made in the shape of an octopus tentacle. According to Revo Foods, its vegan octopus is “hyper-realistic” with suckers, a chewy texture, and a dark pink color. It is made from mycoprotein, the same naturally fermented mycelium protein used by Quorn.

Beyond its appearance, which head of food tech Niccolo Galizzi called “visually iconic,” THE KRAKEN is a minimally processed protein source with a complete amino acid profile and high bioavailability. It also features Omega-3 from microalgae oil, and has an “A” Nutriscore.

According to Revo Foods, THE KRAKEN was initially thought to be too niche for mass production, prompting a wide variety of reactions in the comments on social media. However, the first batch of vegan octopus protein sold out in less than 48 hours, and since then, the food tech company has received hundreds of enquiries about a possible return.

“Due to the high demand, we are now launching THE KRAKEN permanently,” said Revo Foods CEO Robin Simsa, in an email sent to Plant Based News (PBN). “And beyond the cool visuals, it raises the question of why a vegan octopus triggers more outrage than the mass farming of highly intelligent animal octopuses.”

The octopus meat industry and plant-based alternatives

Photo shows THE KRAKEN, the vegan octopus product from Revo Foods, served with a fresh salad — Revo Foods THE KRAKEN is nutrient-dense and serves as an effective replacement for traditional octopus meat

Approximately 91 million octopuses are killed for food every year, the majority of whom are caught from the ocean. Octopuses are considered a keystone species within coastal and reef environments, meaning that their continued health supports the broader environment.

Despite growing scientific recognition of octopus intelligence – and the ability of cephalopods to feel pain – there is a growing market for octopus meat in the US. Octopuses are already a popular animal protein in Japan and Europe, particularly in Spain, Italy, and Greece.

Grand View Research predicts that the plant-based seafood market will grow from approximately USD $600 million in 2024 to more than $972 million by 2030. Revo Foods alone has brought several pioneering alternatives to market in recent years, including its new vegan black cod, plant-based cod fillets, and 3D-printed salmon fillets, introduced last year.