US-based cultivated seafood producer BlueNalu has announced an expansion of its partnership with leading European frozen food company Nomad Foods.
The collaboration, which began in 2021, will support the future commercialization of cultivated seafood products in Europe. The companies will initially work on market-entry strategies in the UK, with a focus on premium food service and limited-time offerings.
The news follows BlueNalu’s acceptance into the UK Food Standards Agency’s novel foods regulatory sandbox, which aims to fast-track approvals of cultivated meat and seafood products. To date, BlueNalu is the only US-based company to be admitted into the program, and the only one focused primarily on cultivated seafood.
“As a company that has a long history of successfully introducing innovative and great-tasting fish and seafood products, we are excited to continue working alongside BlueNalu to bring this transformative technology to market,” said Carly Arnold, Chief RDQ Officer at Nomad Foods. “The goals of cell-cultivated seafood to offer alternative yet nutritious, safe, and sustainable products align with our commitment to providing consumers with access to great-tasting seafood that is both good for them and good for the planet.”
“Safe, consistent, and desirable seafood”
Recent research sponsored by BlueNalu appears to indicate strong enthusiasm for cultivated bluefin tuna toro among UK sushi consumers. 92% of respondents reportedly expressed strong interest in trying the product, perceiving that it would lack parasites, pesticides, microplastics, mercury, and antibiotics while providing a source of omega-3 fatty acids. 73% said they would be likely to visit a sushi restaurant offering cultivated toro, while 74% expressed willingness to pay the same or more compared to conventional bluefin tuna.
In 2023, BlueNalu announced strengthened partnerships with Mitsubishi Corporation, Pulmuone Co. Ltd., and Thai Union to bring cultivated bluefin tuna to the Asia-Pacific region. Later that year, the company raised $33.5 million to expand its cultivated toro platform.
In 2024, BlueNalu became the first cultivated seafood company to join the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the trade association for the United States seafood industry.
“Our cell-cultivated bluefin toro offers a new, high-quality seafood experience — nutrient-rich, free from environmental contaminants, and designed to complement a global supply chain that is increasingly fragile and unpredictable,” said Lou Cooperhouse, Founder, President, and CEO of BlueNalu. “We’re proud to work with trusted partners and forward-thinking regulatory agencies to deliver safe, consistent, and desirable seafood to consumers in the coming years. Our acceptance into the UK regulatory sandbox reinforces BlueNalu’s position as a global company at the forefront of food system innovation.”
