Bluu Seafood, a synthetic seafood company based in Berlin, is planning to distribute lab-grown fish products globally.
Fish balls produced from stem cells. (Photo: Bluu Seafood)
Bluu Seafood is a startup founded in 2020, initially named Bluu Biosciences. With overfishing becoming a serious issue, Bluu aims to mitigate the impact of this activity by using stem cell technology to create products that are safe for human consumption. They have developed a product called “fish stick”, which resembles a type of fast food but is actually very healthy as it is derived from cultured fish cells. Other products include fish balls. Bluu states that this meat product is packed with plant-based protein, making it easy to chew and suitable for cooking at any time.
To produce fish sticks and fish balls, Bluu collects tissue through a biopsy sample from a fish, then cultivates the cells in a bioreactor with a nutrient-rich medium. The cells then grow on a scaffold surface, mimicking the structure of fish meat. The entire process does not require the killing of real fish, TechCrunch reported on August 8.
Currently, in addition to Bluu, several other companies are also looking to bring cultured seafood to market. For example, Wild Type has invested $100 million to develop lab-grown salmon with the texture and flavor similar to sushi. Meanwhile, CellMeat in South Korea focuses on artificial shrimp.
