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.
“This achievement has the potential to be a game-changer in an industry where the question of affordability is paramount”
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 the six finalists in the FoodTech 2022 competition, jointly hosted by Tnuva and Calcalist, which acknowledges Israeli companies working on technological solutions to global food system challenges.
Hir Israeli, EFISHient Protein’s product manager, emphasized the importance of this accomplishment, stating, “The significance of this accomplishment lies in our ability to synergize existing technologies in the market with our expertise in alternative fish protein. This synergy allows us to achieve extensive production of our innovative fish meat, effectively addressing one of the most critical challenges in the cultivated meat industry.”
Accelerated prototype success
Initially, the company had cited goals to develop a prototype within two years, but it has now exceeded expectations by unveiling a working prototype far earlier than anticipated.
Dana Levin, CEO at EFISHient Protein, added, “We are thrilled to mark another significant step toward establishing EFISHient Protein as a global leader in the cultivated fish industry. We are driven by a vision to make alternative protein sources widely accessible, particularly as we address the pressing needs of the future.
“This achievement has the potential to be a game-changer in an industry where the question of affordability is paramount. It allows us to offer our products at competitive market prices, comparable to conventionally sourced white fish, which often come from environmentally harmful sources plagued by health and sustainability issues.”
