India undertakes lab grown fish meat project to address growing seafood demand

The project aims to establish India in the field of cultured marine fish meat, thereby addressing the growing seafood demand and reducing excessive pressure on wild resources

A research project to develop lab-grown fish meat has been undertaken by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) for the first time in India.

The final product will replicate the original flavour, texture and nutritional qualities of the fish. (AP file photo)

The project aims to establish India in the field of cultured marine fish meat, thereby addressing the growing seafood demand and reducing excessive pressure on wild resources.

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, a statement from CMFRI said.

“In Singapore, a few companies have tried this, Israel also has a project. Most projects are still experimental. Just like other meat we will use cell line culture to produce fish meat. It’s even more difficult to grow meat of higher vertebrates in laboratory settings. This product may take a decade to reach the market. It’s being carried out as an experiment to see what can be developed. It will be conducted in a PPP mode,” explained Kajal Chakraborty, principal scientist.

In the initial phase, the institute focuses on developing cell-based meat of high value marine fish such as king fish, pomfret and seer fish.

In line with this, CMFRI has entered into a collaborative research agreement with Neat Meatt Biotech, a start-up working on developing cultivated meat, to launch this initiative in a public-private partnership mode.

“This project aims to accelerate development in this field, ensuring India is not left behind in this emerging industry. This public-private partnership marks a crucial step in bridging the gap between India and other nations like Singapore, Israel, and the USA, who are already advancing cultured seafood research. Lab-grown fish offers immense potential for environmental and food security benefits,” said A Gopalakrishnan, director of CMFRI.

Cultured meat is genuine animal meat (including seafood and organ meats) that is produced by cultivating animal cells directly.

This production method eliminates the need to raise and farm animals for food.

According to the Good Food Institute, a think tank working on global food systems, cultivated meat is made of the same cell types that can be arranged in the same or similar structure as animal tissues, thus replicating the sensory and nutritional profiles of conventional meat.