Umami Bioworks, a frontrunner in cultivated seafood expertise primarily based in Singapore, has teamed up with South Korean biotech agency Okay-Cell Biosciences and bioprocess options supplier WSG to develop a sustainable manufacturing pipeline for cultivated seafood in South Korea. The partnership, formalized by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in September, goals to create scalable manufacturing techniques for seafood grown from cells, providing a sustainable various to conventional fishing.
With one of many highest per capita seafood consumption charges on this planet, South Korea presents a serious market alternative for Umami Bioworks’ moral and eco-friendly seafood merchandise. Umami Bioworks will present its experience in cultivated seafood expertise, whereas Okay-Cell Biosciences will contribute superior cell tradition media, and WSG will provide the required bioprocessing {hardware}. Collectively, these firms intention to streamline manufacturing, making it cost-effective and scalable to satisfy native demand.
“A crucial a part of Umami’s ambition to ascertain a scalable plug-and-play manufacturing answer for cultivated seafood is securing partnerships with key strategic suppliers who’re able to supplying crucial {hardware} and inputs at costs and volumes that match our clients’ necessities,” mentioned Umami Bioworks CEO Mihir Pershad. “With WSG and Okay-Cell’s historical past of delivering top quality bioprocess gear and tradition media, we are going to work carefully collectively to optimize our manufacturing answer and to deliver the primary cultivated meals manufacturing facility to South Korea.”
The partnership may even deal with gaining regulatory approval from South Korea’s Ministry of Meals and Drug Security (MFDS), making certain that cultivated seafood merchandise meet native security and high quality requirements. Plans are underway to co-invest in a facility that can function a manufacturing hub for cultivated seafood, beginning with eel.
Cultivated fish in cat meals
In July, Umami Bioworks partnered with Mates & Household Pet Meals (FnF) to co-develop and launch what they mentioned have been the world’s first cat treats produced from cultivated fish.
FnF’s new product line of cat treats are designed with high-value microalgae, a mix of high-quality cultured proteins and important vitamins. FnF mentioned the brand new cultivated fish treats provide important environmental advantages by decreasing reliance on conventional fishing strategies, which frequently result in overfishing and ocean depletion. Cultivated fish manufacturing is designed to be extra resource-efficient, requiring much less land, water, and feed in comparison with standard aquaculture.
The cat treats are deliberate to launch within the Singapore and San Francisco markets in early 2025.
Tailored from a press launch.
