K A S H R U T . C O M_©

January 10, 2024 from NoCamels:

"As overfishing takes its toll on marine life in waters across the planet, an Israeli company is determined to harness technological know-how to save some species from the brink of extinction – including the most expensive one in the world per pound.

"Wanda Fish extracted cells from three different species – bluefin tuna, mackerel and yellowtail – in order to cultivate them in the lab, and its most advanced product is the pricey bluefin.

"The tuna can even go for up to $5,000 a pound due to those risks of extinction and overfishing and also because of the high market demand in places such as Japan.

"Wanda Fish cultivates the extracted cells in bioreactors – specialist vats that create an optimal environment – until they reach immortal status, in other words are continuously reproducing.

"Wanda Fish then places the cells into cultured media – the essential nutrients and minerals that support growth. From there, the company uses its own undisclosed technology to cultivate the cells into both muscle and intramuscular fat of a bluefin tuna.

"Once the cells are transformed, Wanda Fish combines them with proprietary plant-based material to create a hybrid final product – one of the ways the company is reducing costs and a step that Sfadyah describes as “a very complex process.” He also insists that it is one currently carried out by most, if not all food cultivation companies.

"And despite the inclusion of the plant-based material, Sfadyah believes that the company’s product is identical in every way to the original thanks to the unique fat and muscle combination Wanda Fish cultivates.

"This, he says, even applies to one of the trickiest parts of cultivating such premium fish – striking the right balance between taste and texture.

"For unlike other tunas, bluefin has a melt-in-your-mouth texture with what many chefs say is a rich flavor that works perfectly for sashimi (a kind of sushi).

"The company is also trying to remove the need for chefs to have to clean and cut the fish when it arrives at their restaurants, reducing food waste and shortening preparation time for diners."