Wildtype, a San-Fransico based firm specialising in cultivated seafood, has won $100m in funding to invest in an alternative to salmon.
Their novel technology hopes to harvest cells from salmon and use them to grow food which they aim to sell commercially upon approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.
So what?
Global demand for salmon is undoubtedly rising, and is among the most popular seafood in many regions including the US and UK. There are many environmental impacts from salmon production, and subsequent controversies make it a tense space that has consumers questioning the ethics. Farming is associated with polluted water, and is impacted by climate as rising sea temperatures continue to make it an unsuitable environment for the salmon.
Other animal products have well-established alternatives e.g. plant based mince, and have had a positive reaction so it’s not surprising that salmon is next. It might not be long until we see cultivated salmon and other seafood on supermarket shelves next to alternative meat.
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