Lab-grown salmon hits US menus after landmark FDA green light.
San Francisco-based startup Wildtype has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to sell its cultivated salmon, marking a first for the seafood sector.
In a letter published by the FDA on 28 May, the regulator confirmed it had “no questions” regarding Wildtype’s conclusion that its cultivated coho salmon — derived from mesenchymal cells grown in bioreactors — is as safe as conventionally farmed salmon. The product is harvested as a cell mass or paste and mixed with plant-based ingredients to replicate the texture of traditional fish.
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The clearance concludes a consultation process that began in 2022 and involved eight rounds of amendments. It follows the company’s submission of safety data and supporting documentation for what the FDA designated as Cell Culture Consultation CCC 000005.
Wildtype’s salmon is already on the menu at Portland restaurant Kann and will roll out to additional locations over the coming months. The startup has raised over $120 million to date and operates a pilot facility in San Francisco’s Dogpatch district.
While the FDA decision permits immediate foodservice sales, the company has not yet announced retail availability. Wildtype is the first cultivated seafood company to receive FDA approval, joining a handful of other US firms developing cell-cultured meat products.
The FDA noted that labeling considerations remain under the authority of its Office of Nutrition and Food Labeling and advised Wildtype to engage further on that front.
In 2022, Wildtype announced a $100 million Series B funding round notable investors included Leonardo DiCaprio alongside Bezos Expeditions, Temasek, S2G Investments, Robert Downey Jr.’s FootPrint Coalition, and Cargill.