Pioneering Sustainable Seafood with Plant-Based Cell Cultures
In a groundbreaking achievement, scientists from Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP)’s School of Applied Science (SAS) have developed the world’s first unagi fish cakes grown using plant-based serum. This innovative process enables the production of fish species that cannot be commercially farmed, using a more ethical and sustainable method.
The team has focused on several high-value food fish species, with the most success seen with unagi. Unlike traditional methods that rely on fetal bovine serum (FBS), the NYP team has pioneered the use of a plant-based medium to cultivate these fish cells. FBS, a controversial substance derived from blood taken from cattle fetuses, is typically used in cell culture applications. However, the use of FBS raises ethical concerns due to the inhumane methods of its extraction.
The NYP-developed fish cell lines, which can grow indefinitely and multiply to form edible products, such as fish cakes and fillets, have demonstrated remarkable cost savings and sustainability benefits, especially at larger production scales. The plant-based serum offers a more ethical alternative to FBS, avoiding the need for animal-derived substances.
Challenges in Eel Farming and Sustainability Goals
Unagi, a beloved dish in Japanese cuisine, has long been considered “unfarmable” due to the challenges of recreating the ideal breeding conditions for Japanese eels. As all unagi is wild-caught, overfishing has led to a significant decline in supply. Despite years of research by Japanese scientists, captive breeding of unagi remains elusive.
The team at NYP also worked on creating cell lines for other species, including the humpback grouper and the orange-spotted grouper. While groupers can be bred in captivity, the humpback grouper poses farming challenges due to its slow growth and susceptibility to disease. In contrast, the orange-spotted grouper is more commonly farmed and consumed in Singapore.
The project, funded by the Singapore Food Story R&D Grant managed by the Singapore Food Agency and A*STAR, aligns with Singapore’s food resilience goals. Despite importing over 90% of its food, the country faces vulnerabilities due to global supply disruptions. NYP’s work supports the government’s “30 by 30” initiative, which aims to meet 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs through local production by 2030.
Towards a Sustainable Future
This innovation comes at a critical time when global overfishing is threatening marine biodiversity. With a third of commercial fish stocks being caught unsustainably, the NYP team aims to provide a solution that reduces the pressure on marine ecosystems.
The team has licensed its proprietary cell lines to Umami Meats, a Singapore-based food tech startup. The first sustainable seafood products made from these plant-based cell lines are expected to hit the market in 2024, marking a significant step towards the future of sustainable and ethical seafood production.
