India's cultivated meat startup Biokraft Foods has announced a strategic collaboration with ICAR-Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research (DCFR) to create cultivated snow and rainbow trout products.

© Subin-Sailendran - stock.adobe.com

Biokraft Foods Partners with ICAR-DCFR for Cultivated Trout Products in India

Indian cultivated meat startup Biokraft Foods has announced a strategic collaboration with ICAR-Directorate of Coldwater Fisheries Research (DCFR) to create cultivated snow and rainbow trout products — two species that hold significant commercial value in the Indian market. Through the collaboration, ICAR-DCFR will develop the fish cell lines, and Biokraft Foods will create final products using 3D bioprinting and customized bioinks.  The ICAR-DCFR is India’s pioneer research institute working toward sustainable development of cold water aquaculture, management, and conservation of hill stream fishes. It operates under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Cultivating meat in India The novel food regulatory body in India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), is already working to set a regulatory framework for approving cell-based foods, including cultivated …

more

UMAMI Bioworks and Shiok Meats, have merged to establish a combined entity that will bring cultivated seafood closer to commercial viability.

Image provided

UMAMI Bioworks & Shiok Meats Merge to Commercialize Cultivated Seafood

Two cultivated seafood pioneers from Singapore — UMAMI Bioworks and Shiok Meats — have merged to establish a combined entity that will bring cultivated seafood closer to commercial viability. The strategic merge, believed to be the first in the cultivated seafood space, will leverage UMAMI Bioworks’ advanced production technologies with Shiok Meats’ research in crustacean cell cultivation. By combining their expertise, the companies expect to enhance go-to-market efficiencies, expand commercial opportunities, and accelerate regulatory approvals to introduce cultivated seafood products in the region while providing a production alternative to industrial fishing and aquaculture. Mihir Pershad, the CEO of UMAMI Bioworks, will lead the new company as CEO. He will be supported by global seafood investment leaders Hatch Blue and Aqua-Spark, who will join the company’s …

more

BlueNalu yellowtail

© BlueNalu

BlueNalu Becomes First Cell-Cultured Seafood Company to Enter National Fisheries Institute

BlueNalu, a California-based cellular aquaculture startup, has become the first cultivated seafood company to join the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the trade association for the United States seafood industry. The development demonstrates the growing recognition of the role of cell-cultured seafood within the traditional seafood sector. BlueNalu’s induction into the NFI also includes a pivotal role as a founding member of the newly established Sushi Council, which aims to develop and distribute food safety guidance to sushi’s supply chain. The announcement comes after BlueNalu’s active participation in last month’s NFI’s Global Seafood Market Conference. There, in collaboration with Nutreco and Pulmuone Co. Ltd., BlueNalu showcased how cell-cultured seafood can complement traditional seafood production methods. Worth noting is that The National Fisheries Institute, known for its global …

more

Biotech startup Atlantic Fish Co., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, leverages cellular agriculture to create seafood free of plastics, mercury, antibiotics, and animal suffering.

© Atlantic Fish Co.

Atlantic Fish Co. Pioneers Cell Lines for Cultivated Halibut and Other Overfished Wild Species

Biotech startup Atlantic Fish Co., headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, leverages cellular agriculture to create seafood free of plastics, mercury, antibiotics, and animal suffering. Doug Grant and Trevor Ham founded the company in 2020 with a vision for a better future for people, animals, and the planet. The startup believes that cellular agriculture will ensure protein security by 2050. The biotech is focused on the development of cell lines of wild-caught species, such as halibut, which are greenhouse gas-intensive due to trawling techniques and are also unsuitable for aquaculture farms. To develop seafood directly from fish cells, Atlantic Fish Co. uses genetic engineering technology to scale fish cells in bioreactors, providing them nutrients for growth, developed in partnership with Defined Bioscience, and scaffolding structure for support. Atlantic …

more

© bit24 - stock.adobe.com

India’s Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute Launches Pioneering Project to Cultivate Fish

India’s Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has launched a pioneering project to cultivate fish, reports The New Indian Express. The CMFRI, a leading tropical marine research organization, aims to leverage cellular agriculture to address the growing demand for fish while reducing the environmental impact of overfishing and traditional fishing practices. As reported by local media, CMFRI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Neat Meatt, a cultivated meat technology solutions provider based in Delhi, to develop a commercially viable process for large-scale production of high-value species like kingfish.  Collaborative goals The collaboration will see the CMFRI work on genetics, biochemistry, and analytics, while Neat Meatt will optimize cell growth media, develop scaffolds or microcarriers for cell attachment, and establish a platform for commercial-scale operations. CMFRI Director Dr. A …

more

Steakholder Foods announces plant-based shrimps

Steakholder Foods’ plant-based, 3D-printed shrimps.

Steakholder Foods Unveils the World’s First 3D Printed Plant-Based Shrimp

Israeli biotech Steakholder Foods (Nasdaq: STKH), a cultivated meat and 3D bioprinting technology leader, unveils what it claims to be the world’s first plant-based 3D-printed shrimp. Steakholder Foods’ food team utilized its DropJet printer and shrimp-flavored inks developed in-house to “precision-print” the analogs, layer-by-layer. Combining these technologies allows the company to recreate the texture and flavor of shrimp, offering a realistic alternative. The ingredients for the inks have not been disclosed. Initially, the Israeli company intends to offer 3D-printed plant-based shrimps to potential clients, and eventually, it will launch hybrid shrimps, combining cultivated cells and plant proteins, after its cultivated platform achieves economies of scale to provide a price-competitive product.  The news follows the company’s first incursion into the 3D-printed plant-based category with a realistic eel …

more

Cultivated eel dishes created by the vegan restaurant Saido.

© Anatoly Michaello

Forsea Develops World’s First Cultivated Eel Fillet, Plans Commercial Launch in 2025

Forsea Foods, a cultivated seafood startup from Israel, has unveiled what it claims is the world’s first cultivated eel prototype. According to the startup, the cultivated eel delivers the delicate texture and flavorful taste of the Japanese unagi eel (Anguilla japonica), renowned for its tenderness and rich flavor. To demonstrate the potential of its new development, Forsea worked with chef Katsumi Kusumoto of Saido, a popular vegan restaurant in Tokyo, to craft two traditional Japanese dishes — unagi kabayaki (marinated grilled eel over rice) and unagi nigiri. Since tastings of cultivated meat are not yet legally allowed in Japan, the prototype has not been served or tasted at Saido restaurant as yet, verifies the company. The Forsea and Saido teams met a few times in Japan and …

more

Proveg NFH underwater landscape

Image: ProVeg International

Uncovering the Future of Seafood, Minus the Sea

The seafood sector is a vast and continually expanding industry, currently valued at over USD 257 billion[1] and experiencing annual growth. To illustrate the magnitude of this expansion, global fish consumption has risen by approximately 30% since 1998.[2] However, experts anticipate a further 80% increase by the year 2050.[3] Furthermore, analysts forecast that the Earth’s oceans will struggle to meet such escalating demands, as more than 90% of ‘fish stocks’ are currently either over-exploited.[4] [5] Luckily, innovative food tech brands are working on sustainable alternatives that can meet rising demands for seafood products. To learn more about cultivated seafood, in a New Food Hub interview, ProVeg International’s Gemma Tadman recently caught up with Justin Kolbeck, the co-founder of cultivated salmon company, Wildtype Foods. Taking cultivated …

more

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud of KBW Ventures and Lou Cooperhouse, Founder, President and CEO of BlueNalu

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud of KBW Ventures and Lou Cooperhouse, Founder, President and CEO of BlueNalu © BlueNalu

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed Joins BlueNalu’s Corporate Advisory Board

San Diego cellular aquaculture company BlueNalu announced the addition of Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud to its corporate advisory board during COP 28. According to BlueNalu, the Prince’s commitment to sustainable development, food safety and resilience, and the humane treatment of animals aligns with the company’s mission to provide healthy, humane and regenerative seafood to meet the world’s growing demand. Prince Khaled, CEO of KBW Ventures, has invested in BlueNalu’s funding rounds over the past five years, its most recent being a Series B round this October which raised $33.5 million to scale production of cultivated toro (the high-value portion of bluefin tuna) and demonstrate the technological capabilities of its platform to create whole-muscle seafood products. Seafood is a crucial protein source …

more

EFISHient Protein tilapia

© EFISHient Protein

EFISHient Protein Unveils Prototype for Cultivated Tilapia Ahead of Schedule

EFISHient Protein, an Israeli B2B food-tech company, has unveiled its first prototype of a cultivated tilapia fish fillet, signaling a significant advancement in the company’s mission to produce various sustainable white fish species on a large scale. Founded last year as a part of the Agricultural Research Organization (ARO) of the Volcani Institute, EFISHient Protein combines the animal science expertise of the institute with knowledge from the commercial food and alternative protein industry, courtesy of founding company BioMeat Foodtech. Since its inception, the company has been dedicated to cultivating tilapia, and its efforts were acknowledged earlier this year when it was named a semifinalist at the Aviram Awards, recognizing companies contributing to social and environmental change through innovation and technology. Additionally, EFISHient Protein was among …

more

Future Ocean Foods

© Future Ocean Foods

Debut of World’s First Alternative Seafood Association Signals a New Era for Fish-Free Fish & Health of Our Oceans

Future Ocean Foods debuts today as the world’s first alternative seafood association, dedicated to propelling the alt seafood industry into a new era. With an impressive list of inaugural memberships, the alliance already has 36 companies on board, spanning 14 countries. 40% of its members are women founders, and this percentage is set to increase. We spoke with Future Ocean Foods’ founder and Executive Director, Marissa Bronfman, who described the association’s goal to bring together global initiatives united in a shared purpose to create sustainable, healthy seafood alternatives that support ocean conversation and address current challenges in food security. The association’s focus is to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing with members spanning the sectors of plant-based seafood, fermentation, and cultivated food tech.  A future where seafood …

more

Cultivated grouper fillet

Cultivated grouper fillet © UMAMI Bioworks

Japanese Consumers Show Strong Interest in Tasting and Buying Cultivated Seafood, Says Research Study

A research study exploring the opinions of Japanese consumers toward cultivated seafood suggests that attitudes towards this novel food are generally positive, with 70% of participants showing interest in tasting it and 60% expressing willingness to purchase it once it is available.  The study, one of the latest dissertations from the University of Winchester MSc Animal Welfare, Behaviour, Ethics and Law students, investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions of Japanese consumers toward cell-based seafood.  The researchers conducted an online survey with over 100 participants to collect the data. From this sample, a majority said to regularly consume seafood, indicating that its consumption is significant in Japan. Notably, a small percentage stated they would never eat seafood due to veganism. The findings reveal a lack of …

more

Bluu Seafood_Cultivated Fish Fingers on a plate_copyright Bluu GmbH_Wim Jansen

Cultivated Fish Fingers, image copyright Bluu GmbH / Wim Jansen

BLUU Seafood: €1.3M Cultivated Seafood Research Project Backed by German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

A three-year research project aims to contribute to the production of alternative protein sources, in particular flavour-bearing, healthy fish fat cells, usable for human nutrition, thus opening up new options for global food security in times of population growth and climate change. BLUU Seafood is the largest company in the production of cultivated fish in Europe. This June, Bluu secured €16 million in Series A funding to upscale cultivated fish production, aiming to secure regulatory approval in the USA and Singapore in 2024. In conversation with vegconomist last June, COO Christian Dammann asserted that by “2025 cultivated seafood can be expected to appear in supermarkets”, and in the following August the company stated that its seafood products were market-ready. Cell ag as a relevant future …

more

US-based cultivated seafood company BlueNalu has raised $33.5 million to scale its cultivated toro platform.

© BlueNalu

BlueNalu Secures $33.5M to Expand Cultivated Toro Platform Ahead of Launch

US-based cultivated seafood company BlueNalu has raised $33.5 million from new and existing investors in a Series B round, announces Agronomics, the UK’s leading biotech VC with a strong portfolio of cell ag companies, including BlueNalu. The new funds will allow BlueNalu to scale the production of cultivated toro (the high-value portion of bluefin tuna) and demonstrate the technological capabilities of its platform to create whole-muscle products. BlueNalu is based in San Diego, California, where it operates a 40,000-square-foot pilot facility producing small batches and carrying out market testing and research insights in food service settings across the USA. The announced plan is to scale the current production further and prepare to launch, following regulatory approval, its first commercial product (toro). BlueNalu raised $60 million in debt financing …

more

Israeli food tech Wanda Fish Technologies has secured $7 million in seed funding to scale the production cultivated bluefin tuna.

© Wanda Fish Technologies

Wanda Fish Technologies Raises $7M for Pilot Production of Cultivated Bluefin Tuna

Israeli food tech Wanda Fish Technologies announces it has secured $7 million in seed funding to scale the production of its first product — cultivated bluefin tuna whole-cut filet. The company claims that its cultivated bluefin tuna, produced according to non-GMO standards, replicates the texture, flavor, and nutritional value of wild-caught fish without ocean pollutants like mercury. The round was led by Netherlands-based global aquaculture investment fund Aqua-Spark, with additional funding from previous pre-seed investors The Kitchen Hub by the Strauss Group, Peregrine Ventures, LLC, PICO Venture Partners, MOREVC, and CPT Capital, LLP. To date, the company has raised $10 million in capital. “We are on a shared mission to improve the global food value chain, creating a tasty, more sustainable future for all. This financial backing …

more

a piece of cultivated tuna

© BlueNalu

BlueNalu Strengthens Deals with APAC Seafood Leaders to Introduce Cultivated Bluefin Tuna in Asian Markets

US-based cultivated seafood company BlueNalu has announced extended and improved partnerships with three prominent seafood APAC industry leaders: Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, South Korea’s Pulmuone Co. Ltd., and Thai Union. The expanded collaborations include independent Memorandums of Understanding with each company to support BlueNalu in developing market strategies to launch its sustainable cultivated bluefin tuna in the region over the coming years.  The strategic partners will support the biotech in three areas including market research on consumer preferences, emerging trends, and evolving market dynamics. It will also help expedite the approval process of regulatory requirements and support market entry, distribution, and supply chain management strategies to introduce BlueNalu’s products to consumers, food service, and retailers across the APAC region. Lou Cooperhouse, president and CEO of BlueNalu, shared: “We are …

more

Alt proteins could help to sustainably scale up the seafood industry

© Bluu Seafood

Report: Alternative Proteins Could Be Key in Sustainably Scaling the Seafood Industry

A new report by McKinsey has found that plant-based, cultivated, and fermented fish alternatives could play an important role in scaling up the seafood industry. Despite the fact that more than 85% of global fish stocks are fully exploited or overexploited, demand for seafood continues to rise worldwide. While aquaculture has increased seafood production, it has not been able to keep up with demand, meaning other solutions are needed. Alternative seafood does not have to contend with some of the challenges faced by conventional seafood producers; for example, a limited number of licenses are issued for fishing and aquaculture due to sustainability issues, whereas this does not apply to alt seafood. Additionally, conventional seafood can contain unsafe levels of mercury, and may need to be …

more

CellX cultivated dish at demo

© CellX

China’s CellX is Confident it “Can Achieve Cost-Effective Mass Production of Cultivated Fish”

A month after announcing it had commenced operations at what it claims to be China’s first large-scale pilot plant for cultivated meat, CellX states this week it has made significant strides towards the industrial application of cultivated seafood. “Through the use of high-throughput equipment and systematic research methods for cell fate regulation, we achieved successful suspension differentiation of fish cells in only six months, which typically requires one to two years in the industry,” states CellX R&D Director Dr. Shuangshuang Chen in a press release. CellX secured $6.5 million in Series A+ funding this June to establish the pilot plant and has gone on to achieve a series of milestones in the three months that have passed. The company has now successfully completed the pilot …

more

UMAMI Bioworks, previously Umami Meats, announces a business partnership with Maruha Nichiro-

© UMAMI Bioworks

UMAMI Bioworks and Japan’s Largest Seafood Company Join Forces to Bring Cultivated Seafood to Market

Cultivated seafood company UMAMI Bioworks, previously Umami Meats, announces a business partnership with Maruha Nichiro (TYO: 1333), Japan’s largest seafood company. By joining forces, the companies aim to build the infrastructure of Japan’s cultivated seafood industry. As part of the agreement, Maruha Nichiro will invest in UMAMI Bioworks, gaining access to its cell cultivation platform for producing and selling cultivated seafood. The partnership also involves a multi-faceted collaboration to scale UMAMI Bioworks’ process. Mihir Pershad, CEO of UMAMI Bioworks, comments: “Our seminal partnership with Maruha Nichiro, a global leader in crafting beloved food products, is a pivotal step in achieving our mission of addressing the challenge of feeding a growing global population while minimizing environmental impact. We have the development and production technology, but we require experienced partners with …

more

CULT Food Science launches Marina Cat, a cultivated fish cat food brand

© CULT Food Science

CULT Food Science and Umami Bioworks Launch Cultivated Fish Cat Treat

CULT Food Science (CSE: CULT), an investment platform focused on cellular agriculture, has introduced Marina Cat, a new cell-cultivated pet food brand developed in partnership with cultivated fish company Umami Bioworks. Marina Cat aims to offer eco-friendly products with the nutritional benefits of fish without the harmful environmental impacts of commercial fishing.  Marina Cat’s first product is described as a blend of sustainably produced cultivated snapper and a nutritional yeast ingredient called Bmmune, which boosts the cat’s immune system. Additionally, the treats contain Omega 3 and 6, nine fatty acids, and DHA and EPA to promote cognitive function, vision, and nervous system development. The new products will begin to be produced later this year and are expected to be available for purchase by 2024, says CULT Food Science. …

more