Google to Switch to Vegan Shrimp on Campus

Silicon Valley startup New Wave Foods’ vegan shrimp alternative will be served on the Google campus in lieu of animals. “The result is so convincing, and so much more sustainable, Google’s chef will be replacing animal shrimp with it as soon as production can scale,” New Wave Foods’ co-founder Dominique Barnes said. Shrimp is the most widely consumed seafood—accounting for 25 percent of the 4 billion pounds of sea life consumed by Americans every year—and catching it wild results in up to 15 pounds of “bycatch,” or the inadvertent entrapment and death of endangered dolphins, turtles, and sharks. New Wave Foods aims to create truly sustainable shrimp with the help of soy protein and red algae to mimic the flavor and texture of its animal counterpart. “It’s been really exciting: we’ve been able to scale the product from lab space to kitchen space,” said Barnes. Google’s top executive Eric Schmidt recently identified meat-free alternatives as a top global trend, while the campus eateries have actively expanded their vegan options in recent years.