If you’ve ever entered a top-tier restaurant, you may have noticed that they commonly serve seafood dishes at an expensive price. While the seafood there might taste delicious, its cultivation has a darker undertone.
Seafood is sold at a pearl-clutching price because of the high farming costs. As the global population increases, so does the demand for seafood. However, like several other food industry aspects, supply struggles to keep up with the demand. In this case, it’s caused by inadequate traditional aquaculture and fishing methods. Aquaculture systems, made of nets or mesh, act as cages to contain fish within bodies of water like lakes and rivers. Although raising fish in these natural environments might seem humane, this method of cultivating seafood has several damaging effects. For example, fish waste pollutes the surrounding ecosystem, and fish can carry diseases that have the potential to spread to wild fish populations nearby. Furthermore, wild-caught fisheries can disturb the environment to a great extent. Numerous ethical concerns also surround the cultivation of seafood, as all animal products are derived from living beings on our planet, including seafood is no exception. Until now, that is.
Wildtype, a company specializing in cell-cultured food products, is pioneering its way toward a more sustainable approach to seafood cultivation. Their products consist of lab-grown dishes that truly replicate the real taste of fish. Here is how they create their version of “seafood:”
The cultivation of fake seafood begins with the extraction of cells from the animal meat they wish to replicate. This small sample, typically consisting of muscle, fat, or tissue cells has the potential to feed thousands of people, as only one initial sample is needed. Cells act like sourdough starters: They can grow to a near-infinite extent in the right environment, and scientists are keen on reusing the existing cells without having to rely on new samples each time. Once, the cells are equipped with vital nutrients to help them adapt during the cultivation process. The cultivators for the cells are similar to the ones found in breweries, where the cells grow on a special type of scaffolding derived from plants to replicate the fatty and lean texture of fish. After this process, the fake fish is ready to be handled in the kitchen.
Cell-cultured seafood still has a long way to go. It is not as accessible as other fake meats such as beef or chicken, but numerous efforts are being made to integrate this type of seafood into our lives. Currently, because this is in its early stages, the production is bound to be expensive. Over time, however, manufacturing costs will decrease with the new developments surrounding biotechnology and its various applications.
References
“BlueNalu, Inc.” BlueNalu, Inc., www.bluenalu.com/.
Chandimali, Nisansala, et al. “Not Seafood but Seafood: A Review on Cell-Based Cultured Seafood in Lieu of Conventional Seafood.” Food Control, vol. 162, 1 Aug. 2024, p. 110472, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713524001890, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2024.110472.
Kateman, Brian. “Cell-Cultured Seafood Isn’t Just an Idea; It’s a Reality.” Forbes, 6 June 2022, www.forbes.com/sites/briankateman/2022/06/06/cell-cultured-seafood-isnt-just-an-idea-its-a-reality/. Accessed 23 Oct. 2024.
Tsui, Sherman. “Lab-Grown Seafood, Explained.” Earth.org, 11 Oct. 2023, earth.org/lab-grown-seafood-explained/.
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