SeafoodSource is closely following the plant-based and cell-based seafood alternatives market by compiling a regular round-up of updates from the sector. If you have an announcement, please send it to [email protected].
– A recent survey put out by Rehovot, Israel-based Foresea, a cultured seafood producer, suggests that Japanese consumers, who buy almost half the world’s freshwater eel, are ready to embrace eel alternatives.
Known as unagi in Japan, freshwater eel is a treasured Japanese delicacy, where the eel market is valued at up to USD 10 billion (EUR 9.6 billion). According to Foresea, previous surveys have shown that nearly one-quarter of Japanese consumers refrain from buying eel because of its steep price tag, and one-third skip eating eel because of the impact of overfishing on the species.
Forsea CEO Roee Nir said these pressures have created a “sizable market of consumers who are compelled to forgo eel enjoyment due to its rarity and high cost.
"This is an untapped market that we can capture," he said.
Forsea’s cultured eel offers to bridge growing gaps in demand for eel, address overfishing of wild, freshwater eel, and combat the market’s high prices. The company thinks that consumers are ready for an alternative, too, based on the results of a recent online nationwide survey, which showed that 35 percent of respondents were familiar with cultured eel and 25 percent were eager to try it, regardless of the price.
"The results of this survey were encouraging, as it indicates a readiness among Japanese consumers to explore innovative food options," Nir said. "Having scoured the market, we also discovered consumer types who are potential customers for our product – from the environmentally conscious young adult, to the health-conscious homemaker, to the vegetarian-minded student, or the tech-savvy businessperson seeking new experiences."
– Kópavogur, Iceland-based plant biotechnology company ORF Genetics and South Korean cultivated protein producers CellMeat held a tasting of their cultivated shellfish meat in Iceland, a significant milestone for CellMeat, which had previously only debuted its products in Asia.
CellMeat CEO and founder Giljun Park said that Iceland’s “advanced technology and innovative policies such as reducing carbon emissions and maximizing renewable energy production” make it an ideal location for CellMeat.
“I look forward to the growth of CellMeat through developing our collaboration with ORF Genetics and to seek further opportunities in Iceland,” Park said.
The event was attended by Iceland’s First Gentleman Björn Skúlason and Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries Hanna Katrín Friðriksson. It also featured preparations by South Korean Chef Jinyoung Park.
ORF Genetics CEO Berglind Rán Ólafsdóttir said that she was “proud of how Iceland has positioned itself at the forefront of food innovation, providing a platform for groundbreaking tasting experiences like this.”
The partnership between ORF and CellMeat is an attempt to scale and lower costs of cultivated protein; though ORF began by producing proteins for skincare, in 2020, it launched MESOkine, an animal growth factor made of bioengineered barley produced on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula.
– Singapore-based alt-protein producer Umami Bioworks has partnered with Osaka, Japan-based green industrial and engineering firm Kanadevia, formerly known as Hitachi Zosen, to develop animal-free growth factors for use in cell-based seafood.
The new species-specific growth factors use wheat germ to produce fish and crustacean cells.
In a LinkedIn post announcing the partnership, Umami Biowrks said that “Kanadevia’s expertise will help us scale production, reduce costs, and ensure consistent, high-quality growth factors, making cultivated seafood more accessible and sustainable.”
