German startup Bluu Seafood today launched Europesfirst pilot plant for cultivated fish.
The new site expands the work across 2,000 square metres of customised research, production, and office space.
The current devices have a capacity of 65 litres.
But Bluu said they can increase to 2,000 litres, providing space to grow far larger quantities of fish.
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No animals are harmed during the making of this cuisine,Bluu promises.
In the temperature-controlled fermenters, oxygen and nutrients are fed to the cells, which then develop and multiply.
Once fully grown, the cell mass is harvested and refined.
Its then formed into familiar products, such as fish sticks or fish balls.
But cultivated fish sidesteps the GMOs, heavy metals, and microplastics that often contaminate conventional seafood.
Another selling point is the environmental impact.
Almost 90% of global marine fish stocks are overfished or fully exploited,according to the UN.
Industrial farming also pollutes its surroundings and creates hotbeds for disease.
Cultivated fish could offer a greener alternative.
By opening the new plant, Bluu hopes to commercialise the process.
The new site is an important building block in this development.
To meet that three-year deadline, Bluuwill need regulatory support.
The company expects Singapore to deliver the first approval in early 2025, followed by the US and EU.
That would echo the progression of cultivated meat, which was initially permitted for salein Singapore.
The US then followed suit.
InEurope, applications are currently being reviewed.
With production plants and rubber stamps impending, cultivated fish is getting closer to our plates.
Story byThomas Macaulay
Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he e(show all)Thomas is the managing editor of TNW.
He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers.
Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse).
