An Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institute has signed a first-of-its-kind agreement in India with a start-up to develop lab-grown fish meat.
The Kochi-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has entered into a collaborative research agreement with Neat Meatt Biotech, a start-up working on cultivated meat.
Although fish lovers may find it fishy, lab-grown fish meat is an area of research in several countries including Israel, US, Singapore and Korea, but none have commercialised it yet.
Lab-grown meat or alternative proteins is gradually attracting big investments globally. As of 2020, around USD 3.1 billion capital was invested in the smart proteins sector, according to reports. Some studies suggest that the niche market is projected to reach USD 290 billion by 2035. Major agencies also predict that it would make up 4 to 60 per cent of the world meat market by 2040.
In India, work is on to create cell-based meat of high-value marine fishes such as king fish, pomfret and seer fish, senior scientists said.
The CMFRI project aims to propel India in cultured marine fish meat, with a stated goal of meeting increasing demand for seafood while alleviating the excessive strain on wild resources, an official release said on Monday.
“Cultivated fish meat or lab grown fish meat is produced by isolating specific cells from the fish and growing them in the laboratory setting using animal component free media. The final product will replicate the original flavour, texture and nutritional qualities of the fish,” the statement said.
“We also call this ‘ahimsa fish meat’ as no actual fish is being harmed in the process. But, we are isolating fish cells to be developed in labs by activating the medium to grow,” Kajal Chakraborty, head and principal scientist at CMFRI’s marine biotechnology, fish nutrition and health division, told Business Standard.
He claimed that the lab-grown fish meat would taste exactly like real fish and also have the same texture and colour, if not the shape. “We can’t give any time frame as to when a final product will be available as it is an exploratory project,” Chakraborty said.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding, CMFRI will carry out research on early cell line development of high-value marine fish species. This will involve isolating and cultivating fish cells for R&D. CMFRI will also handle genetic, biochemical and analytical work linked to the project.
Neat Meatt, which has expertise in cell culture technology, will lead the optimisation of cell growth media, development of scaffolds or micro carriers for cell attachment, and scaling up production through bioreactors. The startup will also provide consumables, manpower, and any additional equipment needed for the project.
“This project aims to accelerate development in this field, ensuring India is not left behind in this emerging industry,” A Gopalakrishnan, director, CMFRI, said in the statement.
“Lab-grown fish offers immense potential for environmental and food security benefits, and this collaboration leverages CMFRI’s marine research expertise with Neat Meatt’s technological know-how in this field, paving the way for a sustainable and secure future for seafood production in India,” Gopalakrishnan said.
Sandeep Sharma, co-founder and chief executive officer of Neat Meatt Biotech, expressed confidence that the proof of concept of the project would be established within a couple of months.
Source: Business Standard
