NEW TECH FOODS

US cultivated seafood producer Wildtype has begun serving its cultivated salmon at a US restaurant, following regulatory clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The launch marks the first time a cultivated seafood product has reached consumers anywhere in the world.

The San Francisco-based start-up received a “no questions” letter from the FDA on Wednesday 28 May, indicating that the agency had no safety concerns regarding Wildtype’s production process or its final product: a sushi-grade cultivated salmon.

The FDA stated: "Based on the safety assessment Wildtype has conducted, it is our understanding that Wildtype has concluded that foods comprised of or containing the cultured cellular material resulting from the production process defined in CCC 000005 are as safe as comparable foods produced by other methods and would not contain substances that adulterate the food."

Wildtype uses food-grade bioreactors to grow salmon cells in controlled conditions, producing raw salmon fillets designed to avoid contaminants sometimes found in wild-caught or farmed fish, such as mercury or microplastics. The FDA’s review assessed both the manufacturing process and product safety, concluding the salmon could be legally sold under existing food regulations.

The cultivated salmon made its restaurant debut in late May at Kann, a Portland, Oregon restaurant run by chef Gregory Gourdet. It is being served one night per week in June, with plans for daily availability from July. Wildtype aims to expand to four more US restaurants in the coming months.

Gourdet said: “At Kann, we take pride in the ingredients we utilise. Introducing Wildtype's cultivated salmon to our menu hits the elevated and sustainable marks we want our menu to offer guests who share a similar value system to ours.”