BlueNalu, the clean seafood company, is aiming to put fish on the menu in the not-so-distant future. Its CEO, Lou Cooperhouse, has said the team are just months away from producing a first in the world of cell-based food.
The aim is to produce whole muscle, medallion-size pieces of yellowtail amberjack, followed by mahi mahi – or common dolphinfish. The fish meat is grown from cells placed in a bioreactor, with just a few muscle stem cells needed to create billions more. The finished pieces of fish will first be served to staff.
In 2018, BlueNalu raised $4.5m in startup funds from a group of 26 investors. It plans to be the first to enter the market with large-scale production of seafood products, including several shellfish, in approximately five to seven years. A new advisory board was recently announced to help achieve this goal.
Speaking at the Plant Based World Conference and Expo, Cooperhouse said “We want to have seafood products with no compromise in quality, taste or texture,” he said. “And also no compromise to the planet or with personal health or animal health.”