Cultivated Seafood

bluu seafood cultivated salmon served on a black plate with lemon rinds

Bluu Seafood's cultivated sashimi © Bluu GmbH/Wim Jansen

GFI to Host Fish Cell Culture Workshop for Scientists to Focus on Rapid Advancement of Sector

Alternatives to fish and seafood, providing consumers with nutritious options that do not come from our vastly over-fished seas, witnessed a huge increase throughout 2022 both in demand and in interest from investors. Producers of cultivated fish and seafood are operating in all corners of the planet, with many stating they are ready for market launch pending regulatory approval. Some of the biggest names successfully producing cell-cultivated fish and seafood include: Wildtype – San Francisco USA Bluu Seafood (previously Bluu Biosciences) – Germany BlueNalu – San Diego Umami Meats – Singapore Shiok – Singapore Avant – China Addressing key challenges in cellular seafood In order to address key challenges facing the advancement of the alternative protein industry, The Good Food Institute is hosting a series …

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cultivated fish range

© Umami Meats

Steakholder Foods Receives First Grant to Develop Cultivated Eel and Grouper with Umami Meats

Israel-based Steakholder Foods (Nasdaq: STKH) announces it has received its first grant of up to $1M to develop 3D-printed structured eel and grouper products with cultivated seafood startup Umami Meats.  The initiative is being funded by a grant from the Singapore Israel Industrial R&D Foundation (SIIRD), a cooperation between – Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA). According to Steakholder, the partnership with Umami Meats offers a unique opportunity for market entry in Singapore, the only country where cultivated meat has regulatory approval. The collaboration seeks to develop a scalable process for producing structured cultivated fish products. To create the fish, Steakholder will use newly developed technology for mimicking the flaky texture of cooked fish, which the startup recently submitted for a provisional …

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Wildtype salmon

© Wildtype

South Korea’s Third-Largest Conglomerate SK Invests $7M in Wildtype Cultivated Salmon

SK Inc., the investment arm of South Korea’s third-largest conglomerate SK Group, has announced a $7 million investment in US-based cultivated salmon producer Wildtype. The Korean firm explained that it is looking to increase its investments in companies with excellent environmental, social, and corporate governance credentials. The conglomerate also reveals that it is working to form a joint venture between Perfect Day and Korean dairy producer Maeli Dairies, with the intention that Maeli will manufacture, distribute, and sell products made with Perfect Day’s animal-free milk proteins. SK Chairman impressed by Wildtype visit “[Wildtype’s cultivated salmon] can dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emitted during the process of fishing, farming, and transportation, and protect the marine ecosystem that faces the risk of extinction with bycatch,” said Chey Tae-won, …

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cultured-meat-policies

©Firn-stock.adobe.com

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization Assesses Safety and Regulations of Cultivated Meat

The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is now assessing important food safety and regulatory concerns regarding cultivated meat. The organization released several documents discussing food safety aspects of cultivated meat products, including language and terminologies, common production processes, and regulatory frameworks. Labeling and terminology The FAO points out that since cultivated meats represent an emerging commodity, the terminology used to describe its processes and products remain inconsistent. A literature review found the most common terms used by consumers and the industry are  “cell-based,” “cultivated,” and “cultured,” with some studies suggesting “cultivated” as the most appealing term.  Through its report, FAO aims to provide a basis for global policymakers to select consistent language for legislation and communication about cultivated meat. The organization also encourages …

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© Umami Meats

Umami Meats Announces Research Collab With Waters Corporation For Cultivated Fish

Umami Meats of Singapore today announces a research collaboration with food and nutrition scientists at Waters Corporation to develop laboratory methods for premium cultivated fish products. Umami Meats is focused on the cultivation of premium fish that are on the IUCN’s (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, are unsuitable for farming, and are endangered due to the overfishing of the oceans. In the past two months alone the company has made great strides including the filing of a “game-changing” patent for single-stem cell technology; a collaboration with Ingredion for cultivated fishcakes fillets; and the revealing of what it claims to be the world’s first cultivated fish ball laksa. Waters operates a world-class research laboratory in Singapore which facilitates collaborations with industry and academic …

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Supermeat Cultivated Chicken Sandwich

©Supermeat

SuperMeat Survey Reveals Nearly 90% of US Chefs Would Serve Cultivated Meat

A new survey conducted by food tech company SuperMeat discovered that 86% of American chefs are interested in serving cultivated meats, poultry or seafood to customers.  Conducted with market research consultancy Censuswide, the survey polled opinions from 251 US chefs and food professionals. The results found:  86% of chefs are interested in serving cultivated meat or poultry, with 22% of those saying they are “very interested” 84% would consider replacing conventional meat with cultivated meat on their menus if pricing were similar 77% would be willing to pay a premium for cultivated meats, with two-thirds willing to pay 11-15% more Those surveyed indicated food safety, concerns for the environment and customer demand were top motivators for adding cultivated meat to their menus.  Chicken is top …

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Forsea Foods

© Forsea Foods

Forsea Foods Raises $5.2M for Cultivated Eel, Will Inaugurate Pilot Plant in 2023

Israel’s Forsea Foods, which claims to be the first startup to use organoid technology for its cultivated seafood process, has raised $5.2 million in a seed round led by Berlin-based Target Global. The new funding will accelerate R&D for cultivating eel meat, the company’s first targeted species, and the development of other fish. Forsea explains it has plans to inaugurate a pilot plant in 2023, allowing the company to create a preliminary design for a large-scale alpha production system and launch its first products. Non-GMO organoid technology According to Forsea, the company has developed a non-GMO organoid technology platform in which eel meat is grown ex vivo as a three-dimensional tissue structure without requiring the scaffolding stage. Forsea highlights that its organoid platform requires fewer bioreactors and growth …

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cultivated fish range

© Umami Meats

Umami Meats and Ingredion Co-Develop Cultivated Fish Cakes & Fillets

Singapore-based cultivated seafood startup Umami Meats is set to host a private launch event showcasing the company’s first cultivated fish structured prototypes developed in partnership with US-based food solutions company Ingredion. Thai-style fish cakes and battered fish fillets made with cultivated fish cells using Umami’s proprietary technology will debut at the event. Products for high-end restaurants Mihir Pershad, Umami Meats’ founder and CEO, said: “We’re excited to be able to showcase our first structured prototypes. With this product showcase, our goal is to demonstrate the versatility of our cultivated fish and the wide range of desirable, structured products that we plan to supply via high-end restaurants as progressive regulatory changes occur in each of our target launch markets.” The partnership with Ingredion, which was announced during …

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cultivated fish ball laksa

© Umami Meats

Cultivated Seafood Startup Umami Meats Files Patent for “Game-Changing” Technology

Singapore-based cultivated seafood startup Umami Meats announces it has filed a patent for single-stem cell technology that uses mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lines from fish. Umami’s stem cell technology is unique because it only requires one cell type and one production line to cultivate muscle and fats, unlike other methods that require multiple production lines and cell types.  Mihir Pershad, Umami Meats’ founder and CEO, said: “So far, we have established MSC lines from three species, including our flagship species, the Japanese eel. This innovative approach to cell lines builds the foundation for faster and more efficient cell growth. Our technology advances are a critical driver of lowering costs, increasing scalability, and making cultivated seafood affordable for mainstream consumers.” The company also cultivates species like snapper, tuna, …

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Close up of BlueNalu's whole-muscle, cell-cultured yellowtail, beer-battered and deep-fried for fish tacos

©BlueNalu

BlueNalu Says Breakthrough Tech ‘Cracks the Code’ to Significantly Scale Alt Seafood Production

Cultivated seafood company BlueNalu announces two new technologies it says unlock the path to significant profitability and scalability of its cell-cultured seafood. By utilizing breakthrough single-cell suspension and lipid-loading techniques, the startup says it can achieve 75% gross margins in its first year of production, and cultivate up to 6M pounds of premium seafood annually, beginning with Bluefin Tuna Toro.  While many cultivated meat and seafood companies employ “adherent” techniques that attach growing cells to microcarriers, BlueNalu says it has developed non-GMO cell lines in single cell suspension, meaning large numbers of cells can freely grow in bioreactors without the need for costly microcarriers.  In addition, BlueNalu reveals its patent-pending lipid-loading technology allows cultivated muscle cells to actively store fat, eliminating the need to grow …

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Prolific Cultured Meat

©Prolific Machines

Prolific Machines Reveals $42M Series A to Scale ‘Assembly Line’ Tech for Cultivated Meat

Cultivated meat startup Profilic Machines has emerged from stealth mode to announce a $42M Series A raise led by investor Arvind Gupta and the Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures. After raising the round a year ago, it is now opening a 25,000 sq. ft. facility in Emeryville, CA to expand its “fundamentally new approach” to cultivated fish, poultry and beef.  Unlike most cultivated meat companies, Prolific says it is focused on inventing a scalable manufacturing process first, followed by a product, in order to create the necessary infrastructure that can cost-compete with factory farming. As Henry Ford revolutionized automobile manufacturing by efficiently assembling cars, Prolific says it is inventing breakthrough technology to help cultivated meat reach the mass market.  Reducing costs Prolific was founded by …

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cultivated fish ball laksa

© Umami Meats

Umami Meats Reveals “World’s First” Cultivated Fish Ball Laksa

Singaporean alt-seafood startup Umami Meats has unveiled what it claims is the world’s first cultivated fish ball laksa (a spicy noodle dish). The fish balls are made by combining Umami’s cultivated seafood with plant proteins. This improves mouthfeel and helps to bind the balls together. Umami has received an administrative exemption from regulators at the Singapore Food Agency, which will allow it to serve the cultivated fish balls during Feed 9B Singapore Restaurant Week. Umami’s technology uses stem cells to develop cultivated fish muscle, fat, and connective tissue. The company is focusing on the species that are most threatened by climate change and overfishing, such as Japanese eel, yellowfin tuna, and red snapper. Funding In March, Umami raised $2.4 million in a pre-seed round co-led …

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Cultivated scallops

© Mermade Seafoods

Israel’s Mermade Raises $3.3M for Cultivated Scallops

Israel’s Mermade has closed an oversubscribed seed funding round, with investors including OurCrowd, Fall Line, and Sake Bosch. Mermade is a startup developing what it claims are the world’s first cultivated scallops. What sets the company apart is that it is using aquaponics, a circular process that allows it to cut costs and improve sustainability compared to other cultivated meat and seafood producers. The technology uses algae to recycle spent growth medium, a byproduct of the cell cultivation process. Mermade intends to use the funding to hire stem cell and algae researchers, with the goal of producing its scallops on a laboratory scale by 2023. The startup is one of many alt-seafood producers to find success with investors in 2022 — figures show that the …

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Bluu Seafood_Cultivated Fish Fingers on a plate_copyright Bluu GmbH_Wim Jansen

Cultivated Fish Fingers, image copyright Bluu GmbH / Wim Jansen

Bluu Seafood Announces Europe’s First Cultivated Seafood is Market-Ready

Germany’s Bluu Seafood has presented its first market‐ready products made from cultivated fish cells, positioned as Europe’s first cultivated seafood products. The company states the alt seafood products will soon be ready to enter the regulatory approval process across its target markets. Bluu Seafood is concentrating on goods manufactured from fish cells that are developed in specialist facilities, based on the notion that conventional seafood production is nearing its limitations. Compared to cultivated meat, cultivated seafood has a less complicated structural makeup and is more temperature-tolerant, allowing for easier upscaling. Europe’s first cultivated seafood Founded two years ago, Bluu Seafood now becomes Europe’s first cultivated seafood startup to present market-ready cultivated seafood products. The first cell-based products developed by the startup are cultivated fish fingers …

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Wildtype's cultivated salmon nigiri

© Wildtype

Alt Seafood Investments Hit $178M in the First Six Months of 2022

Alt-seafood investments reached $178 million between January and July of this year, according to Fishfarmingexpert. The figures take into account all investments in plant-based, fermented, and cultivated seafood companies. A huge proportion of the funding raised went to Wildtype, a US-based cultivated salmon producer. The company secured $100 million in February, in the largest ever Series B round for a cultivated seafood startup. Other notable alt-seafood fundraises this year include $10.8 million by Chinese cultivated fish company Avant, $18 million by plant-based salmon and tuna brand Current Foods, and $12.5 million by whole-cut plant-based fish brand Plantish. The latter was said to be the largest ever seed round in alt-seafood. Despite the impressive sums raised, it has been noted that the industry still faces some …

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