This Company Just 3D Printed the ‘World’s First’ Cultivated Fish Fillet
The fillet, which is grown from fish cells, offers a sustainable and kinder solution to industrialized fishing.
Steakholder Foods’ 3D printed cultured fish. Credit: Shlomi Arbiv
As the food industry continues to invest in more sustainable solutions to feed an ever-growing global population, the alternative protein scene is launching everything from 3D-printed fillet steaks to McDonald’s meat-free McPlant burger.
Now, one innovative food tech start-up has unveiled what is thought to be the world’s first cultivated fish fillet - created without harming a single fish.
The flaky, boneless fillet looks - and tastes - just like the real thing, but has been developed by using a cutting-edge 3D printing process.
Developed by Israel-based tech food company Steakholder Foods, the fillet is created by taking fish cells from a grouper, which are then cultivated - grown - into muscle and fat. This is made into a ‘bio ink’ and loaded into a 3D printer, which then prints the cultivated grouper.
Steakholder Foods’ 3D printed cultured fish. Credit: Shlomi Arbiv
The grouper fish product mimics the flaky texture of cooked fish, and is ready to cook as soon as it's printed.
Unveiled at a tasting event held by Steakholder Foods, the cultivated fish fillet is said to be a key milestone in the company’s aim to bring cultivated seafood to the mainstream. Plans on bringing the cultivated fish to the market are set to be announced in the coming months.
Steakholder Foods’ 3D printed cultured fish. Credit: Shlomi Arbiv
“We’re excited to be working with Umami Meats to develop 3D-printed structured fish products that have the same great taste and texture as traditionally caught fish, without harming the environment,” says Arik Kaufman, CEO of Steakholder Foods.
“With an estimated size of $110 billion and projected growth of 3-4% annually in the near future, the seafood and fish market is a long-time part of our vision for introducing sustainable solutions that increase food security.”
The Global Demand for Fish is Unsustainable
Fish farming has more than doubled in the last twelve years, a landmark report revealed earlier this year. Globally, 124 billion farmed fish were slaughtered in 2019, up from 61 billion in 2007, according to the study.
Around 55 percent of the ocean is covered by commercial fishing, with an estimated 2.7 trillion wild fish slaughtered annually. This industry is polluting the oceans, threatening delicate ecosystems, and plundering the homes of aquatic animals.
Combined, the fish farming and fishing industries are responsible for slaughtering over 2.82 trillion fish every year. That number doesn’t include the 38 million tonnes of sea creatures caught as bycatch annually.
Why Cultivated Meat?
Considered one of the leading solutions to traditional animal agriculture’s devastating impact on animals and the planet, cellular agriculture - also known as cultivated meat - produces animal products, such as meat, eggs, dairy and fish, from cell culture rather than whole animals. This cuts out the need to farm, raise, and slaughter animals, and therefore also bypasses much of the climate impact.
In 2023 and beyond, Species Unite will continue to champion the solutions including cultivated meat that can help transition the world away from animal products. Join our community by becoming a member today and check out our Future of Food podcast episodes to learn more about cellular agriculture.
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The footage was reportedly recorded at Marshall BioResources in North Rose, New York, where up to 22,000 dogs - mostly beagles - are being bred for animal experimentation.