Wildtype, a San Francisco-based company, has secured FDA approval for its cell-cultivated salmon, marking the first cultivated seafood launch in the US. The FDA issued a “no questions” letter, confirming the product’s safety. Wildtype is the fourth cultivated-protein producer to complete FDA pre-market consultation and the third to gain full sales approval. Its salmon will debut at Portland’s Kann restaurant in June before expanding to four more locations. The FDA’s scientific memo details the production process, using mesenchymal cells from coho salmon fry, grown in suspension culture without costly media components like insulin. Wildtype’s product undergoes post-harvest thermal processing to denature residual growth factors, with lower fat and amino acid content than conventional salmon. Founded in 2016 by Dr. Aryé Elfenbein and Justin Kolbeck, Wildtype has raised over $123 million from investors including Leonardo DiCaprio and Cargill.
Source: FDA clears Wildtype’s cell-cultivated salmon for US debut