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Scientists have dished up the world’s first 3D-printed lab-grown fish, claiming it flakes and “melts in your mouth,” just like the real deal.
Cells were grown in a lab to create the futuristic grouper fillets, without the need to put further pressure on dwindling fish populations.
Israel-based Steakholder Foods hopes to get its food to market within months so others can try the “world-class” fish for themselves.
“We are delighted to have produced the world’s first whole fillet farmed fish in partnership with Steakholder Foods,” said Mihir Pershad, CEO of Umami Meats who supplied the fish cells.
“In this first tasting, we showed a cultured product that flakes, tastes and melts in your mouth, just like excellent fish should be. In the coming months, we want to announce our plans to bring this world-class farmed fish to market.”
Scientists have dished up the world’s first 3D-printed lab-raised fish, claiming it flakes and “melts in your mouth” just like the real deal
Singapore-based Umami Meats extracted cells from a grouper before turning it into fat
Scientists adapted bio-inks – materials used in 3D printing to form artificial tissue – to produce their fish product.
These inks usually consist of cells, but can also contain gel-like and vegetable materials.
In this case, Singapore-based Umami Meats extracted cells from a grouper before growing them into muscle and fat.
When placed in the 3D printer, this flesh gained mass as a glass shell swept back and forth.
As a result, a prototype of a flaky fish was formed, which mimics the texture of cooked fish.
This fish can be cooked as soon as it is printed, unlike cultured meat that still is require incubation and maturation after printing.
In the future, Steakholder Foods hopes to use its printer to create different types of fish in collaboration with numerous industry players.
Scientists have now established the process for eels and hope to add three more endangered species in the coming months.
Scientists adapted bio-inks – materials used in 3D printing to produce artificial tissue – to produce their fish product. These mainly consist of cells (pictured)
When placed in the 3D printer, the fish gained mass as a glass bowl swept back and forth
Experts say the grouper “melts in your mouth” and is ready to cook as soon as it is pressed
The team also hopes to launch their first products in Singapore next year before moving on to countries such as the US and Japan.
However, this all depends on food regulation rules.
Arik Kaufman, CEO of Steakholder Foods said: ‘We are excited to partner with Umami Meats to develop 3D printed structured seafood products that have the same great taste and texture as traditionally caught fish, without harming the environment.
“With an estimated size of $110 billion and expected growth of 3-4 percent per annum for the foreseeable future, the seafood market has long been part of our vision for introducing sustainable solutions that enhance food security.”
Besides regulation, one of the biggest challenges for lab-raised fish is providing a competitive price compared to traditionally caught fish.
For now, Steakholder Foods has diluted its fish cells with plant-based ingredients to lower the cost of its product.
When asked about the exact retail price of his fish, a spokesperson did not confirm an exact figure, but reiterated that cell-based products will be “very expensive” initially.
“As time passes, the complexity and level of these products will be higher and the prices associated with their production will fall,” Kaufman added.
This fish can be cooked as soon as it is printed, unlike lab-grown meat
Scientists hope that in the future their technology can be used to produce various fish dishes
Last year, the WWF called for “urgent” efforts to strengthen regulation of the fishing industry after concerns that dozens of species were going extinct.
Kate Norgrove, Executive Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF, said: “The ocean is the blue heart of our planet and we ignore its health at our peril.
“Protecting this precious resource should be the top priority of every fishery around the world, but for too long unsustainable practices have gone unchecked and drained the ocean of life.”
The grouper fish product is also at the center of numerous other initiatives advocating the sale of lab-grown meat in supermarkets.
In 2021, German company Bluu Biosciences announced plans to put lab-grown fish balls, fish fingers and fish tartare on store shelves.
A year later, scientists at Caviar Biotec and University College London grew “clean” caviar in a biochemical liquid, using cells from the egg sac of a fish that were then replicated in the lab.
Mr. Pershad of Umami added that fish cells have been studied much less than cow stem cells in the field of lab-grown meat, which poses further challenges.
“We need to figure out what the cells like to eat, how they like to grow, and there just isn’t that much literature to begin with,” he said.
“You can imagine that the number of scientists working on fish stem cell biology is a small fraction of the number of scientists working on animal cells and human cells.”